Kerala is often celebrated as the “Nursing capital of India”, a state that has sent thousands of healthcare workers across the world. From government hospitals in rural India to intensive care units in Europe and the Gulf, Malayali nurses have long been recognised for their skill, discipline and commitment to patient care.

Yet, behind the admiration lies a profession shaped by sacrifice, emotional exhaustion and, in some cases, unimaginable courage. This International Nurses Day, celebrated on Tuesday, we remember the heroes in scrubs who stood beside those who had no one else, even when it meant risking and sometimes losing their own lives in the line of duty.

Many of these stories disappear with time, but they deserve to be remembered. In 2011, when a fire broke out at the AMRI Hospital in Kolkata, two young nurses from Kerala, Remya and Vineeta, were on night duty. Instead of saving themselves, they returned to the upper floor to rescue patients trapped inside. While trying to evacuate the ninth patient, both of them lost their lives, becoming symbols of courage and selflessness.

Years later, the pandemic and repeated health crises changed the way society viewed nurses. From being overlooked, they became recognised as one of the crucial parts of the healthcare system. During the 2018 Nipah virus infection outbreak in Kozhikode, 31-year-old nurse Lini Puthussery from Perambra Taluk Hospital was among those caring for the first victims of the virus. The deaths of the patients deeply affected her, but she continued her duty without hesitation. Soon after, she contracted the virus herself and passed away while treating an infected patient.

Lini later received national recognition and was posthumously honoured with the National Florence Nightingale Award in 2019, which was accepted by her husband, Sajeesh. Speaking about her, he said that it was always in her nature to place duty before herself and that he remains proud of her unwavering commitment to the profession without any hesitation.

Similarly, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kerala, Reshma Mohandas became one of the first nurses in the state to contract the virus while caring for two elderly COVID-19 patients in Kottayam. After recovering and being discharged, she told the media that she was ready to return to the Covid wards to continue helping patients recover. Her words reflected the deep humanitarian spirit carried by countless nurses across the country.

Beyond these widely known incidents are hundreds of unreported stories, quiet acts of care, courage, and sacrifice that rarely received any public attention. Speaking on International Nurses Day, a senior nurse from Kerala, Yashoda, shared that nursing is a profession built on silent sacrifices that many fail to notice. She said there were countless days when she spent more time inside hospital wards than with her own family, missing holidays, important events, and moments in life because duty always came first.

According to her, carrying the emotional burden of the profession is often the hardest part. “Some patients stay in our minds forever,” she said, explaining how watching people suffer, comforting families in hard times, and sometimes losing patients despite doing everything possible can leave scars that never truly fade. She added that although nurses received immense appreciation during the pandemic, much of that recognition slowly faded with time, and people started degrading nurses in many cases. But even after everything this profession has demanded from her, she would still choose this any day because of the love she receives from the ones she cares for, and to be treated as part of their family.

Reports by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, suggest that support and appreciation for nurses declined significantly after the initial phase of the pandemic. Overworked and understaffed, nurses often endure shifts stretching beyond 12 hours, frequently with little time to rest or recover. The relentless workload and constant exposure to stress can take a serious toll on their own physical and mental health. Yet, despite exhaustion, emotional strain and limited recognition, nurses continue to report for duty every day, choosing a demanding profession because they know that somewhere, someone is relying on them for care, comfort and hope.

(Compiled by Medha)