By Fr Felix Antony –
Kharsang: Hailing the nurses for their heroic approach to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, Bishop George Pallipparambil of Miao Diocese in Arunachal Pradesh termed the nurses as ‘real heroes’ at the International Nurse’s Day celebrations held at Krick and Bourry Memorial Hospital, Injan in Changlang District on Tuesday.
Addressing the nurses at the Krick and Bourry Memorial (KBM) Hospital, its patron and founder, Bishop George said, “I really want to thank and congratulate all the nurses for the great sacrifice they make for humanity. I want to assure you and all the nurses across the world that you are always remembered in our prayers.”
The World Health Organization declared the year 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwifery in recognition of the contribution they make and the risk associated with nursing, in the context of COVID-19.
Highlighting the risk the nurses are subjected to and the mistreatment meted out to them in some part of the country due to ignorance, Bishop George said, “As you battle COVID-19, the great sacrifice you make to be at the side of the people suffering is greatly appreciated by the whole of humanity and you are no less than a super hero.”
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Rose Tom, the Director of KBM Hospital, said the celebration of the nurse’s day is relevant today more than ever. “It is the 200th anniversary of the Birthday of Florence Nightingale at whose memory the Nurse’s Day is dedicated to and it is also a year that has tested the metals of every nurse in the world,” she said.
Highlighting the theme of this year’s celebration – ‘Nursing the World to Health’, the Dr. Tom said it is an invitation and expression of the important role that nurses play in the world, especially in the context the pandemic COVID-19.
Appreciating the nurses for their selfless service, the hospital management presented a small token gift to all the nurses.
Dedicated to the memory of the two French Missionaries Nicolas Krick and Augustine Bourry, who were martyred in the border of Tibet on their way through the mountains of Arunachal Pradesh in 1854, the KBM Hospital is the only Church-run hospital in the north eastern most state of India, bordering China and Myanmar.