The 196{+t}{+h}birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, being observed as International Nurses Day, was celebrated by nurses at all hospitals on Thursday. Service rendered by Nightingale, known as the Lady with the Lamp, to the soldiers wounded in the Crimean war and evolving modern nursing was recalled.
At a function organised by the local branch of the AP Government Nurses Association at the King George Hospital, MLA and BJP Floor Leader P. Vishnu Kumar Raju assured the nurses that he would take up their issues with the Government. Earlier, president of the State unit of the association Bhagya Lakshmi highlighted some of the problems like inadequate stipend for student nurses; regularisation of those working on contract basis; filling up the large number of vacancies in KGH and other hospitals and installation of a statue of Florence Nightingale in the premises of the KGH to remind the people of the contribution she had made to the humanity.
Superintendent of KGH M. Madhusudhana Babu requested the MLA to pursue with the Government the need to employ more number of class IV staff since their strength had been fast depleting due to retirement and strengthen security by engaging more guards.
Mr. Vishnu Kumar Raju said he would arrange the statue of Nightingale if space was provided and assured that other needs of nurses would be taken up with the Government. He felicitated retired Nursing Superintendents B. Satyanarayana and M.D. Dhana Lakshmi. CSRMO in-charge K.S.L.G. Sastry, RMO Bangaraiah, Nursing Superintendent P. Syamalatha, president and secretary of the district unit of the association Subhashini and Esther and others participated.
