85th Military Nursing Service Raising Day
As it dawns on 01 Oct 2010, the Military Nursing Service will be celebrating its 85th Raising Day. The history of Military Nursing Service which comprises of only women officers, dates back to 28th March 1888 with the arrival of first batch of 10 qualified British Nurses in Bombay, to organise nursing in Military hospitals in India.
In 1893, the strength increased to 52 and it was designated as Indian Army Nursing Service (IANS) following the British Pattern. It was renewed as Queen Alexandria Military Nursing Service in 1902. Nurses were enrolled in India for the first time in 1914 and were attached to QAMNS.
On 1st Oct 1926, a permanent Nursing Service was formed in the Indian Army. The service was designated as the Indian Military Nursing Service (IMNS). The IMNS made a humble beginning and their work was universally acclaimed. On 15th Sep 1943, they were conferred the status of Commissioned Officers of the Military Nursing Service and today it ranks high among the Army Nursing Services of the world.
Florence Nightingale the pioneer of Nursing was responsible for the status of nursing today,. She believed nursing was not merely administration of medicines, rather the focus of nursing was to provide a therapeutic milieu for the patient and the emphasis was on health promotion and maintenance, which is the aim of medicine and nursing today.
In 1947, IMNS was renamed as Military Nursing Service (MNS). Col Miss DG Howard was appointed as cheif principal matron and head of the service. The first Major General was appointed in 1976 as Director Military Nursing Service and in 1985, the appointment was redesignated as Addl Dir General Of Military Nursing Service.
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Recruitment in to the Military Nursing Service is based on the selection which is done on an all India basis. The candidates are placed in order of merit at College of Nursing for Basic BSc Nursing. The college is affiliated to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences Nasik for 4 years Degree Course. The General Nursing and Midwifery course is conducted by the Armed Forces medical Services Examining Board at the Schools of Nursing of AH(R&R), Delhi, CH(CC) Lucknow, CH(WC) Chandimandir, CH(EC) Kolkata,CH(AF) Bangalore and INHS Asvini Mumbai. Another landmark in the Nursing Education is the Post Graduate Nsg Programme at College of Nursing AFMC, Pune in four clinical disciplines for the regular commissioned Nursing Officers.
The mission of the MNS is ‘Excellence in patient care both in war and peace, which is perused with at most zeal, fervour and zest. The MNS not only serve in India, but have also played a vital role in the peace keeping forces at Congo, Sudan, Lebanon, Sierra Leone etc. And their services have been appreciated by one and all.
The services of the MNS have been rightly recognised and appreciated and received a number of prestigious awards like PVSM, AVSM, VSM and SM, other professional awards like National Florence Nightingale Awards, Associate of The Royal Red cross, National Award For International Red cross, Sarojini Khosla Nightingale Awards, Mahila Shiromani Award etc. Apart from professional activities MNS Officers participate in Mountaineering and shooting championships and have won awards at National and International Levels.
In the ever expanding and changing health scenario of the Armed Forces, MNS play a very significant role as versatile and unique health care providers. Efficient Nursing care and services rendered by them will not only mitigate the pain and suffering of humanity, but also hasten their recovery and live up to the motto “ service with smile”.
S Om Singh/Daleep