Nurses in Madang on Thursday May 12 joined their counterparts around the world to celebrate International Nurses Day with a float and a 2.5 kilometre march starting from Modilon General Hospital to the Bates oval in town.
Other activities marking the event at Bates oval included，choir，speeches and drama.
The theme for this year’s event is Nurse：A force for change。 “Improving Health System’s Resilience“
The Madang nurses while at Bates oval also conducted free medical checks on sugar level， blood pressure and others for the public who came to watch the proceedings。
It was a special and colourful occasion for some of the nurses present because some of them were marching with their daughters who have followed their foot-steps to also become nurses. One of these nurses, Hilda Shong was proud to tell the public that nurses are special people whose presence restore ordinary people to better and good health when they needed it most.
Director Nursing Services at the Modilon General Hospital， Sr。 Galug Sual in her address explained that the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has celebrated this day, May 12, 2016 since 1965.
She further explained that in 1953 Dorothy Sutherland, an official with the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, proposed that President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaim a "Nurses' Day"; he did not approve it.
Sr Galug said it was in January 1974, when May 12 was chosen to celebrate the day as it is the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, who is widely considered the founder of modern nursing.
“Each year, ICN prepares and distributes the International Nurses' Day Kit. The kit contains educational and public information materials, for use by nurses everywhere.
Fr. Peter Hunter, an Anglican priest who said the opening prayer for the event urged the public to honour the nurses because they do very special work to save lives.
In the United Kingdom each year a service is held in Westminster Abbey in London. During the Service, a symbolic lamp is taken from the Nurses' Chapel in the Abbey and handed from one nurse to another, thence to the Dean, who places it on the High Altar. This signifies the passing of knowledge from one nurse to another. At St Margaret's Church at East Wellow in Hampshire, where Florence Nightingale is buried, a service is also held on the Sunday after her birthday.
Picture: Nurse Hilda Shong with a mega phone on a float in Madang.
