Nurses are at the cutting edge of battling the ongoing pandemic, making the most of their calibre and providing selfless care, said Lt Col Madhumita Dhall, Director Nursing at Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre (RGCIRC) on the occasion of Nurses Day celebration. “Serving humanity is one of the extraordinary callings that nurses are undertaking and thereby play an important role in the society”, she added.

RGCIRC celebrated Nurses Day 2021 through various activities such as lamp lighting, a pledge-taking ceremony and a webinar. The Florence Nightingale pledge was taken by all the nurses across all the wards administered by respective in-charges. Of special importance was a poster-making activity on the theme of Nurses Day 2021 which witnessed active participation by all the nurses. Evocative sketches were drawn by the nurses.

During the webinar, various challenges and solutions were discussed to encourage nurses to lead more meaningful lives. To encourage & motivate them in these tough times, the senior management of RGCIRC shared messages for positive mindset and thought processes. The webinar had an interesting panel discussion on the topic 'Safe staffing; saves lives'.

“The Covid-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of the vital role that nurses play. Without nurses and other health workers, we will not be able to win the battle against the outbreak. Notwithstanding a year of stress and long hours in view of the pandemic, nurses have continued to work hard," said Dr Sudhir Kumar Rawal. Medical Director and Chief of GenitoUro- Oncology Services, RGCIRC.

Currently, over 200 nursing staff are involved in the care of COVID patients at RGCIRC with 12 hours of duty every day.

Speaking on the occasion, DS Negi (CEO, RGCIRC) said, “All the nurses who are selflessly attending to the patients in this time of Covid crisis need to be applauded. It's amazing to be part of such an activity to celebrate the contribution of one of the most important segments of the healthcare world, without whom one can't think of smooth execution of any treatment”. On the occasion, nurses were honoured with a token of gratitude by the RGCIRC management.