(Photo: a simulated training session at the Government College of Nursing, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala; courtesy college.)
Kerala’s nursing heritage dates back a century with the first nursing school, the Ernakulam Government School of Nursing, established in 1924 at the Ernakulam General Hospital. The school was founded by the Italian Sisters of Charity, following a request from the Maharaja of Cochin. The graduates of the school have played a major role in building the reputation of Keralite nurses around the World. Admissions to the school, which annually graduates about 40 students, is likely the most competitive among nursing colleges in India.
The high social status of women nurses in Kerala is evident from their being much sought after brides, as also seen in matrimonial advertisements. In fact, there is a specific Malayalam word, kondupokum, used by parents in the matrimonial ads they place for their daughters who are nurses. The word literally means “will carry away.” In the matrimonial ads, it implies, “Our daughter has a prestigious, high-paying job abroad, and we need a groom who is willing to go with her and support that life.”
