Seven Chinese nurses awarded Florence Nightingale medal

Senior health officials on Tuesday called on nurses in China to carry forward the spirits of awardees of the Florence Nightingale Medal this year in order to safeguard the health of its people and contribute to building a global community of health for all humankind.

The Florence Nightingale Medal, presented biannually, is the highest international award that could be given to a nurse. This year's 37 recipients were announced by the International Commission of Red Cross in May. On Tuesday, a ceremony and a seminar were held in Beijing to commemorate the seven Chinese honorees.

Wang Ke, vice-president of Red Cross Society of China, said that since China began submitting candidates in 1983, 90 nurses from the country have been given the award thus far.

"Some of this year's honorees from China have fought on the frontline against the COVID-19 pandemic or have joined in international humanitarian aid missions,"he said.

He called on more nurses to follow their lead in protecting the safety and health of people, as well as participating in volunteer services in local communities, especially for the elderly people who live alone.

Lei Haichao, vice-minister of the National Health Commission, said that the number of nurses nationwide has been growing by an average of 8 percent annually in the past decade.

By the end of last year, China had over 5.2 million nurses and the number of nurses per 1,000 people had reached 3.7. Meanwhile, the quality and capability of nursing workforce have been improving continuously, he said.