INTERNATIONAL Nurses Day is celebrated worldwide on May 12 to commemorate the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. This year is particularly special not only because 2020 marks the 200th anniversary of Nightingale’s birth but also because of the gratitude that should be extended to nurses who are frontliners in the fight against Covid-19.
As a former nurse, I know that in Malaysia, healthcare circles celebrate this day on a very grand scale. Between 2,500 and 3,000 professional nurses nationwide would gather at the Putrajaya Convention Centre each year to commemorate this special day.