Chongqing nurse, 36 others receive service medal

A warm welcoming ceremony was held for Gan Xiuni, one of this year's winners of the Florence Nightingale Medal, at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport on Tuesday night.

The medal, which is presented biannually, is the highest international award given to a nurse.

On May 12, 37 recipients from 22 countries and regions, including Gan, were announced by the International Committee of the Red Cross. On Tuesday, a ceremony and seminar were held in Beijing to commemorate the seven Chinese honorees.

The 59-year-old Gan, director of the nursing department of Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, has given 41 years of her life to the clinical front line, including the emergency department, operating room and departments of ophthalmology and otolaryngology at the hospital.

Over the years, she has stepped forward as a compassionate and determined nurse on many occasions, including during the SARS outbreak, the COVD-19 pandemic and the Wenchuan Earthquake. In 2020, she received the highest award given by the Chinese government for fighting the pandemic.