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| Prof.Salomy George, Deputy Director, Nursing Education, Kerala |
When the shaft of an idea strikes an expectant mind, it produces sparkles. When President Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam put forward the 10-point programme for development of Kerala, it inspired Prof.Salomy George, Deputy Director of Nursing Education, Kerala to dream something big. The President had hoped that the nursing graduates produced by the state would increase from 4000 to 20000 per year. Salomy’s effort to increase student intake and other contributions of her 30 year career soon won her the Florence Nightingale award of the Central Government, which she received from Dr.Kalam himself.
When she heard about President’s proposal, she put her thoughts in order and prepared a project report which was forwarded by the State Government to the President’s office. Sanction of Rs.3.5 crores resulted from this well-meaning effort and paved the way for increasing the post graduate seats in Medical Colleges. As a next step, new courses in B.Sc Nursing were started in Medical Colleges at Alappuzha and Thrissur.
The tsunami struck Kerala coast on a Sunday. Since the Government had not given any instructions, there was no compulsion on Salomy to go to the disaster-front. However, she took the initiative to rush to Kollam and be involved for 3 months in relief activities: coordinating nursing students of Government and private sector in meeting the challenge posed by the calamity in Kerala and Tamil Nadu coasts. This too was considered while choosing her for the award. She is the only Malayali among 17 winners this year. And she is the first Malayali since 1975 to receive the award.
Although nursing education comes under Director of Medical Education, the Deputy Director has independent charge. And in that role she advises statutory commissions set up to regulate the functioning of autonomous nursing colleges in the State. She takes a strict view about the quality of education offered by these colleges.
Courtesy:
A.B.Jijimon, Sree, Malayala Manorama, May 27, 2007
Contributed by: Administrator
