Military Nursing Service (India) - History

History

First World War

The Military Nursing Service Indian Army has its origin from the Army Nursing Service formed in 1881 part of the British Army. The force went through many changes in its 126 years of glorious existence. In 1893, it was designated as Indian Army Nursing Service. The force went through further changes in 1902, when the Indian Nursing Service and the Army Nursing Service were combined and on 27 March 1902, it was redesignated to Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service . At the outbreak of world war in 1914 there were just fewer than 300 nurses in the QAIMNS, by the end of the war this had raised to 10,404. The Army nurses served in Flanders, the Mediterranean, the Balkans, the Middle East and onboard hospital ships. Of the 200 plus army nurses died on active service, many were Indians. After, the war on 1st October1926, the Nursing Services was granted permanent status in Indian Army. This date is formally recognised as the formation day of Military Nursing Service, though in actual its origins occurred 45 five years before (many Corps of the Army, including Army Medical Corps traces its origin to more than hundreds of years back in the similar way, though they were actually formed after independence).

Second World War

With the outbreak of second world war, nurses once again found themselves serving all over the world, including Singapore, Burma, Italy, Mesopotamia, Ceylon, Egypt and Western Africa. The changing working conditions and wartime shortages led to changes in uniform. Khaki slacks and battledress blouses replaced the grey and scarlet ward dress and rank insignia was adopted to signify the officer status of the nurses. In the Far East, the fall of Hong Kong and Singapore led to many army nurses (including Indian) being captured by the Japanese and endured terrible hardships and deprivations of the Far East prisoner-of-war camps. During the middle of the war in 1943, the Indian arm of the Nursing Services was separated through Indian Military Nursing Service Ordinance, 1943 and redesignated it, thereby constituting the Military Nursing Service (MNS) in its present form.

The Officers of the Military Nursing Service are governed by Indian Military Nursing Service Ordinance 1943 and Military Nursing Service Rules, 1944. The Section 5 of the ordinance provides that, all members of the Indian Military Nursing Service shall be of commissioned rank and shall be appointed as officers of the Indian Military Nursing Service by the Central Government by notification in the Official Gazette. The Nursing Service Officers are also subject to Army Act 1950, Army Rules 1954, Defence Service Regulations and various Government Orders, Army Instructions, Army Orders, issued from time to time.

Post Independence

Now, the Military Nursing Service is an integral part of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS). The AFMS consists of Army Medical Corps (AMC), Army Dental Corps (ADC) and Military Nursing Service (MNS). The AFMS personnel serve in the medical establishments of Army, Navy and Air Force. The Military Nursing Service was treated as under dogs since the inception of AFMS in 1948 (the AMC and ADC are more or less equally positioned, though most of the cream appointments in AFMS are occupied by AMC). After the independence, the Officers of MNS have not only served in India but have also played a role in United Nations peace keeping missions abroad in UN missions to Lebanon, Cambodia, Somalia and scores of other Nations. Many of such missions are still active.

'The Military Nursing Service, post independence is denied equal status with the Regular Forces and discriminated by not awarding (a) Reforms as awarded to other regular officers by the implementation of Bagga Commission, which provided time bound promotion up to the rank of Colonel, (b) Pay is not at par with the similar placed ranks in the regular army, i.e., Grade Pay is placed lower, Military Service Pay is placed lower,(c)Flag Car status is not granted to rank of Brigadier & above, and(d)All major Army Officers Institutes, refuse membership. It will not be wrong to say that Military Nurses are facing a silent denial of equal status in the Regular Army.'Bold text

Milestones

Recently, they had been a part of the Medical team, which was sent to Iran to give medical cover to the wounded in a devastating earthquake, which struck Bam in Iran. Apart from the professional activities, MNS Officers have also participated in sports and adventure activities at National and International levels. An MNS Major won a gold medal in shooting in the last Commonwealth Games.