Kenyan nurse shortlisted for prestigious Ksh.32M Aster Award in India

The top 10 finalists for the third edition of the world’s top nursing award was announced in October this year to recognize and honor the contributions of nurses worldwide.

Motari made to the top ten following his initiatives, including a skilled childbirth attendance, which led to a 92 per cent increase in skilled deliveries, zero maternal deaths and a 70 per cent reduction in perinatal deaths within a year.

Moreover, Archimedes’ passion has inspired many youngsters to pursue nursing careers to positively contribute in improving healthcare services within their community.

In an exclusive interview with Citizen Digital, Motari revealed that, through his effort many youths secured slots at different learning facilities across the country to study nursing careers.

“From 2021, I contributed to securing slots for a total number of 138 qualified youth to study nursing course,’’ he stated.

According to Motari, his action was impacted by his previous experience in life as an infant where he got ill for two years and was kept under the care of his nurses.

He added; ‘’the nurses never got tired of helping me in my recovery journey – This has motivated me to also help others in my own capacity.”

His major expectation before his retirement is to become Kenyans’ health cabinet secretary.

“Everyone is capable of being one and I want to become health cabinet secretary in my country or among the top health stakeholders in Africa – This is my biggest dream.”

As he waits for the final decision, Archimedes has called on professionals in various fields to ‘leave behind a better world than they have found it.’

Motari was shortlisted from a pool of more than 78,000 nurses from 202 countries globally who applied for the award, following a vigorous review exercise by health experts.

Further, his community-based sensitization programs have trained numerous household members in basic nursing skills, enhancing the provision of quality care knowledge.

Founder Chairman of Aster DM Healthcare, Dr. Azad Moopen commended the finalists for showcasing excellence – going above and beyond their duties for the wellbeing of patients and their community.

“With more than 9,000 nurses working across Aster DM Healthcare’s facilities across 7 countries, we have witnessed the commitment and efforts put in by nurses very closely. This is the least we can do to shine a spotlight on the work being done by the nursing community globally,” Dr. Azad stated.

The winner will be revealed at a gala event in Bengaluru, India, in December 2024 with a reward of US$250,000 (Ksh.32,000,000) after the final decision by the Grand Jury consisting of highly respected health professionals.