International Nurses Day: The Malayali woman who heads the Military Nursing Service

On International Nurses Day this year, Kerala has much to be proud of. A few days ago, Kollam native Major General Lisamma PV was appointed as the Additional Director General of the Military Nursing Service(MNS). Lisamma, commissioned into MNS in 1986, has held many major posts in the service, including the vice principal and principal at the Colleges of Nursing in Bangalore and Pune. She was also the Principal Matron at the Army Research and Referral Hospital in New Delhi and won several honours like the 'Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card.' An alumnus of Assumption College, Changanassery and the School of Nursing at Military Hospital, Jalandhar, she also has degrees in Law, Arts and Hospital Administration. 

The Indian Military Nursing Service, set up in 1888, has been an all-women corps of the Indian Armed Forces. That said, Gertude Alice Ram was the first woman Major General of the army with a two-star rank in 1976. Indian military nurses have also served in other countries' conflict zones, like in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and even in African countries. They have also played key roles in serving at various border conflicts India has faced over the years. In September 2023, the Delhi High Court said that men can also be employed as nurses in the army. This was during a public interest litigation that challenged the MNS ordinance rules that allowed only women to be nurses. In 2018, too, the court had termed the practice a form of discrimination.  
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