President Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Florence Nightingale Awards 2024 to 15 nursing professionals here on Wednesday.

The nurses were honoured with the award in recognition of their outstanding commitment to duty and service to the community at a function held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

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Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda and Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel were present among other dignitaries.

The National Florence Nightingale Award was instituted by the Union Health Ministry in 1973 as a mark of recognition for the meritorious services rendered by the nurses and nursing professionals to the society.

A total of 15 awards are given in the category of Registered Auxiliary Nurses and Midwife, Registered Nurses and Midwife and Registered Lady Visitor. The award is given to outstanding nursing personnel employed in Central, State/UTs and Voluntary Organisations.

Any nurse, in her/his regular job in the hospital or community settings, educational or administrative setting is eligible for the national award. Each award consists of a certificate of merit, cash award of Rs 1,00,000 and a medal.

Nadda in a post on X congratulated the awardees and said it will inspire them to continue pushing the boundaries in public service.

“Heartfelt thanks to President Droupadi Murmu Ji for presenting the National Florence Nightingale Awards 2024 to the dedicated nursing personnel for their selfless service to the nation. Congratulations to all the awardees. This accolade will inspire you to continue pushing the boundaries in public service. Your tireless efforts play a crucial role in saving countless lives. Our Nurses truly are the backbone of our healthcare sector. Thank you for your invaluable contributions,” he said.

Notably, the Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken several initiatives to strengthen nursing and midwifery education. The major initiatives taken include the establishment of 157 colleges of nursing in co-location with the medical colleges and the constitution of the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission to revamp the nursing education.