International Nurses Day: Let’s Show Our Gratitude To These Countless Unsung Heroes

Medicine is one of the most noble but difficult fields to pursue, and we know that now more than ever. Doctors command immense respect and admiration in our country. But often, we forget about those indispensable members of the medical community that do their duty as unsung heroes. The contribution of nurses goes unrecognised. Chandler may be my favourite Friends character, but his mockery of male nurses was in pretty bad taste! We know now in this time of crisis, how hard nurses work towards the recovery of each and every patient. This International Nurses Day, let’s remember these nurses, and how they did more than just their duty during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Twenty five year old S. Vinothini was 8 months pregnant when she received a letter from the Joint Director (JD) of Health Services from Ramanathapuram to come back to duty within three days, as she had been selected for a nursing post. Despite the obvious difficulty, she travelled a distance of about 250 kilometres from Tiruchy to Ramanathapuram to help patients with coronavirus. She put her own life at risk and exposed herself to the virus to do her duty. We salute her selflessness!

https://thehauterfly.com/lifestyle/meet-s-vinothini-a-pregnant-nurse-who-traveled-250-kms-to-fulfil-her-duty-in-treating-patients-with-coronavirus/

A post made by the Instagram page Humans of Bombay shed light on another such inspirational story. This nurse has two daughters and a husband at home. When duty called, she immediately left for work. Hospitals have been extremely busy with coronavirus cases. She did not get to see her family for five days once her duty started. In the post, she also talked about other such nurses working with her, who had abandoned everything else and were working tirelessly through day and night to contain the virus. Their breaks were few, and she only got the chance to talk to her husband and children for a few seconds on the phone.

https://thehauterfly.com/lifestyle/this-nurse-has-gone-5-days-without-seeing-her-family-because-she-is-working-with-coronavirus-infected-people-we-should-be-grateful-for-people-like-her/

But despite their exceptional work, their interests are not being protected. Reports said that female medical staff in China were taking medication to delay their periods. Some sources even claimed that they were being forced to do so, so that they don’t waste time dealing with their menstruation. When China ordered emergency supplies entering the Hubei province, sanitary pads were not included as a part of necessities! This attitude is shocking. We cannot take our nurses and female medical staff for granted.

https://thehauterfly.com/lifestyle/in-china-female-nurses-are-taking-pills-to-delay-their-period-yes-they-are-heroes-but-we-must-also-protect-their-interests/

Several celebrities have taken to social media to show their gratitude to our nurses. We must ensure that they themselves are being well taken care of during this time. But the smallest and easiest way we can thank them, is by staying at home and staying safe, so that we can reduce their burden.