The Smiley of a Nurse � a tribute
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Thoudam Imomacha
Imphal, November 26 2014:
Smt Haobam Ongbi Chonthingla is no more.
She breathed her last on November 25 (late night) at her Moirangkhom residence.
She was born on the 15th of May, 1923, in a remote village in a beautiful hilly region of Ukhrul (now full-fledged district) of Manipur.
She read up to high school standard when women's education in Manipur was about to be implemented in high-gear.
As such she was academically qualified to be trained in a profession of her choice.
It was how she opted to be trained in the profession of nursing in the then Gauhati Mission Hospital, a pioneer health-care institute.
During those early days, such a chance of learning something related with the heath-care discipline was always a matter of potential employment.
She was later employed as a Staff Nurse in the then Medical Department of the erstwhile MANIPUR ADMINISTRATION in the 1950s.She was the wife of Late Haobam Shyamsundar Singh, a graduate of pioneering days of education in Manipur.
He also worked in the then Medical Department as Head Clerk.
At that time, the job of a Head Clerk was also an important functionary.
It may also be mentioned here that the number of Doctors in Manipur at that time was at one's fingertips and the whole of the Medical Department was run under one Civil Surgeon.
Most of them were non-Manipuri Doctors from outside.
Dr.NB Roy was the first Manipuri Doctor, who became a Civil Surgeon, heading the Medical Department.
Being herself a Nurse, the Late Smt Chonthingla had something inherent in her profession of midwifery.
She used to work with a smile, whether she was on duty in the hospital or a private house where she was engaged for a case of child-delivery.
During those early days, there might have been a few Staff Nurses including herself, but she was supposed to be the most popular one among the Doctors or in the civil society.
Till now, there would be many of her contemporaries who knew her by face or others who had seen her performing the job of midwifery.
It is nostalgic to remember the smile on her face when she visited many homes to do her job of midwifery.
There may still be a number of her professional contemporaries who worked with her for at least sometime.
Remembering her is indeed a judicious tribute to the nursing profession and to herself as she worked relentlessly and selflessly.
(The writer is a former broadcaster of AIR, Imphal.
He is available on [email protected]) .