(Our Bureau, May 12) From saving lives in ICUs to administering vaccine shots, nurses have been on the frontline of India’s fight against Covid-19. “Managing Covid patients successfully in ICUs mostly depends on nurses, not doctors,” noted surgeon Dr Devi Prasad Shetty recently, adding that India’s next big challenge would be a shortage of nursing staff. There are 3.07 million registered nursing personnel in India but that’s not enough: Data shows 1 nurse caters to 670 persons as against the WHO’s norm of 1 per 300 people. Despite the shortfall, nurses have been working round the clock assisting patients with their PPE gear on. On International Nurses Day, we celebrate the contribution of these unsung heroes.
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