Patna: Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey on Tuesday honoured 114 nurses from across the state for their outstanding contributions to healthcare, as part of celebrations marking International Nurses Day. The event, held at the Convention Bhawan Auditorium in Patna, saw the recipients — including Community Health Officers (CHOs) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) — receive the Bihar State Florence Nightingale Nurse Award 2025.
Addressing the gathering, Pandey said the state government was committed to raising nursing education to global standards under the ‘Mission Unnayan’ initiative. He described nurses as the “backbone” of the health system, adding that empowering them was essential to both patient care and the state’s broader vision of developing ‘Brand Bihar’.
The minister highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to expand the health workforce. Over the past five years, 19,000 ANMs and General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) professionals had been appointed, Pandey noted, adding that the Bihar Technical Service Commission had recently advertised 11,389 posts for Grade A nurses and GNMs. The appointment of an additional 10,700 nurses, currently delayed due to technical issues, would also be finalised soon, he said.
Pandey paid tribute to the courage and dedication shown by nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic, calling them “frontline heroes” who strengthened the healthcare system and saved lives when the world was in crisis.
International Nurses Day, observed annually on Florence Nightingale’s birth anniversary, is an opportunity to recognise the vital role nurses play not only in healthcare but also in the socio-economic development of communities, Pandey said. This year’s theme, Our Nurses, Our Future, highlights both their medical contributions and their broader impact on society, he added.
Senior officials including Manoj Kumar, Secretary of the Health Department, Dr Aditya Prakash, Additional Secretary, and Suharsh Bhagat, Executive Director of the State Health Committee, were among those present at the event.
