The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards to nursing personnel today (May 12, 2017) on the occasion of International Nurses Day at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that nurses in India are at the forefront of our national healthcare system. Their contribution is central to its success. In a developing economy such as ours, nurses and midwives are crucial in delivering cost-effective and, at the same time, good quality healthcare. Our nation is proud of their services. Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century, thanks to the improving quality of nursing services, significant gains have been made in increasing life expectancy and reducing child and maternal mortality in both urban as well as rural India.

The President said that the need to adapt our standards to the evolving demands of healthcare and update our capacities is self-evident. Our country needs to respond swiftly to healthcare challenges that keep coming up. He was glad to see that the National Health Policy, 2017 envisages a new momentum in innovation and nursing.

He stated that as Indian nurses take on greater local, national and international roles, we need to ensure appropriate professional development and human resource policies in our country – and increased involvement of nurses in policy development. The complexity of medical and healthcare practices today demands that nurses are fully involved in the planning, implementation, research and evaluation that goes into the successful delivery of patient care.

These functions come with responsibilities and accountability. The legal and policy framework of nursing protocols and standards of practice must facilitate optimal utilization of competencies.