Murmu Honors Nursing Excellence: Florence Nightingale Awards

Award Ceremony and Recognition

• President Droupadi Murmu presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards 2024 on September 11, 2024, at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• The ceremony honored 15 outstanding nursing professionals for their exceptional service and commitment to duty.
• Union Health Minister J P Nadda attended the event and praised the awardees, calling nurses the "backbone of the healthcare sector."
• The awards, instituted in 1973 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, recognize meritorious services rendered by nursing personnel.
• Recipients included professionals from various categories: Registered Auxiliary Nurses & Midwives, Registered Nurses & Midwives, and Registered Lady Visitors.
• Each award consists of a Certificate of Merit, a cash prize of ₹1,00,000, and a medal.

Diversity and Representation in Awardees

• The 2024 awards showcased pan-Indian nursing excellence, with recipients from various states and union territories.
• Awardees represented remote areas like Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, as well as North-Eastern states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Mizoram.
• The recognition spanned both urban centers and rural areas, highlighting the widespread impact of nursing professionals.

Professional diversity was evident in the selection:

• • Five Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), emphasizing the importance of primary healthcare workers
  • One Lady Health Visitor (LHV), acknowledging supervisory roles in nursing
  • Nine Nurses, including those with advanced degrees and military backgrounds

List of Florence Nightingale Awards 2024 Recipients

Notable awardees included:

• • Maj Gen Ignatius Delos Flora from Delhi, representing the armed forces' nursing corps
  • Dr. Tabasum Irshad Handoo from Jammu & Kashmir, showcasing academic achievements in nursing
  • Mr. Radhey Lal Sharma from Rajasthan, one of the few male nurses recognized, highlighting gender diversity in the profession

Impact and Future of Nursing in India

• The National Florence Nightingale Awards serve to motivate nursing professionals to strive for excellence in their field.
• These awards raise awareness about the critical role of nurses in healthcare delivery and help set benchmarks for quality nursing care across India.
• The government is actively working to enhance nursing and midwifery education:
  • Establishment of 157 nursing colleges co-located with medical colleges
  • Formation of the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission