Sablan made the tribute to the nurses in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, Sept. 22.
“These nurses provided more than medical care,” Sablan said during the presentation. “They provided health education to the community and were wholeheartedly admired by those they served. Some of them are survived by descendants, also nurses, still serving our people today.”
The congressional tribute, in addition, recognized the few nurses trained before World War II, during Japanese times. Like,. Rosa Blanco Camacho who was believed to be the only one of these pre-war nurses still alive at the time the statement was made.
“‘Nan Chai,’ as she is affectionately known, continued to share her time and expertise well after she retired,” Kilili noted. “I am saddened that she cannot be here with us, so we could share with her our gratitude for `a shortage of medical personnel. So the military trained local men and women to care for the wounded.
In the years that followed, this cadre of nurses and core men became the backbone of medical care in the islands, though they faced many challenges. They lacked training and resources were limited. But unfazed, these nurses turned the challenges into a driving force that motivated them to acquire additional knowledge and expertise to improve health standards in the community.
According to the Sablan’s floor statement, as the population in the Northern Mariana Islands grew in the 1960s and 1970s, there was a corresponding demand for more nurses and health facilities. Public health dispensaries were opened in some villages on Saipan, all of them staffed by nurses; and health centers on Tinian and Rota were created, then expanded.
Sablan thanked Paz Calvo and Liz Untalan, who assisted his office in collecting the names of the 260 individuals who were honored.
“Mrs. Calvo and Mrs. Untalan came to me with the idea,” said Sablan. “I said, of course, I wanted to pay tribute, but I would need their help in collecting all of the names. Paz and Elizabeth have my gratitude for their passion in following through on this project, which allows us all to recognize the men and women who blazed the trail for so many others.
“We cannot repay their selflessness. But we can honor what they have done for our people and our community.”
A copy of the congressional tribute will be displayed in each of the health centers, on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.
“More than anything it is my hope that this recognition will inspire the next generation of nurses,” said Kilili.
“Seeing the names of so many men and women who made a commitment to a life of public service. That is greatly needed today in the Northern Mariana Islands.”
There is still time to include names of nurses that served in the NMI from 1944-1978, for more information contact Tony Cabrera at the Saipan District Office at 323-2647/8 or email [email protected].
