Imphal, May 15: Expressing concern over the mushrooming growth of nursing institutes and raising the demand for setting up a separate State Directorate for Nursing on the line of other Indian States for better administration of the nursing activities in the State, the International Nurses' Week was celebrated at the auditorium of the State Nursing School at Lamphelpat today.

State Nursing Superintendent Khoirom Bimola Devi who has been recently honoured with the National Florence Nightingale Award for Nursing Personnel, 2008 by the President of India Pratibha Patil was also felicitated by the staff and students of the school at the occasion.

The International Nurses' Week celebration held under the theme of 'Delivering quality, servicing community: Nurses leading primary health care' was attended by MLA Th Nandakishore Singh as chief guest, Director of Medical & Health Services Dr Th Suresh Singh as functional president and director of Family Welfare Dr W Motilal Singh and State Nursing Superintendent Kh Bimola Devi as guests of honour.

Speaking at the occasion, the dignitaries expressed serious concern over mushrooming growth of nursing institutes in the State without any proper regulation.

Instead of doing any good, this would be detrimental to the health care delivery system of the State, they observed, adding that the need of the hour is to produce quality nurses and not quantity.

In her address, Nursing Superintendent Kh Bimola Devi, who has been recently honoured with the National Florence Nightingale Award for Nursing Personnel, 2008 by the President of India noted that as in other States of the country setting up a separate State Directorate for Nursing is essential for smooth administration of the nursing activities in Manipur without interference from any quarters.

She informed the gathering that the matter had also been brought to the notice of the President of India Pratibha Patil during the award presentation ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 12 when the latter asked her whether she has other wishes to further the cause of nursing profession in her home State.

Bimola Devi was among the 26 nursing personnel honoured with the prestigious National Florence Nightingale Award this year.The citation of the award carrying Rs 50,000 in cash and a merit certificate presented to Kh Bimola Devi commended her works for improvement of nursing profession in Manipur and starting of a movement successfully for introducing a separate Nursing Council in the State besides conducting regional satellite version of HIV/AIDS at Imphal and other areas of North East.

Significantly, Bimola also happens to be the first person to pass M Sc Nursing not only from Manipur but also from the whole North East region.

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