International Nurses day- 59% of Healthcare professionals are Nurses in India informs Health Minister

New Delhi: Nurses form the backbone of healthcare providers as they comprise the largest group in the sector accounting for approximately 59 percent of the health professionals.

Nurses play a vital role in the healthcare domain and are the most important link between a doctor and a patient, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said on Thursday underlining that a strong nursing sector is an essential building block of a strong healthcare sector.

Addressing an event to mark International Nurses Day, Pawar said nurses are the backbone of the healthcare industry who tirelessly take care of all the requirements of patients, according to a Health Ministry statement. 

Congratulating the entire nursing fraternity for their dedicated service to the nation, Pawar said, "Nurses play a vital role in the healthcare industry and are the most important link between a doctor and the patient. Nurses are the heroes who attend to the needs of their patients, be it day or night, without a frown on their face. They are the backbone of the healthcare industry who tirelessly take care of all the requirements of the patients." She applauded the remarkable role of the nursing fraternity in the COVID-19 pandemic and stated no words are enough to thank them.

"This fills us with the deep thought of gratitude and respect for this noble profession," she said.

She further noted that nursing is currently the largest occupational group in the health sector, accounting for approximately 59 percent of the health professionals, and serves as the first point of contact and this makes their role all the more important in the healthcare delivery system, the statement stated.

"A strong nursing sector is an essential building block of a strong healthcare sector. Nurses are the foundation of hospitals. They are the heart and soul of caring. Nurses play a key role in individual and community's health. Investing in nursing will help in achieving our objectives of universal health coverage through improved health services and disease prevention," she added.

Highlighting the initiatives of the government in the nursing sector, the minister briefed about a technology platform, 'Nurses Registration and Tracking System'- A Live Register of Nurses, developed by the Indian Nursing Council and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The Indian Nurses Live Register is an online registry that provides the latest information on the currently practicing nurses, thereby helping the government in better manpower planning and policy making for nursing professionals in India. 

In addition to this, the Indian Nursing Council (INC) has also set up a skill simulation lab in Delhi-NCR to provide state-of-the-art training to nursing faculty.

The event was organized by the Indian Nursing Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

International Nurses Day is observed globally on the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. 

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