Far from feeling like the "revolutionary heroes" or the "most lovely people" they have been dubbed, the nurses say they are just doing their jobs - even though their lives are at risk.

Ye Xin, 47, head nurse with the Guangdong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, died in March after contracting SARS when treating patients with the virus.

Together with nine other Chinese nurses, Ye was awarded the Florence Nightingale Prize by the International Committee of the Red Cross yesterday for outstanding courage and dedication to work.

Nightingale was an English woman who is widely considered to be the founder of modern nursing. International Nurses Day falls on May 12 each year and was established to commemorate the birthday of the great nurse.

Thousands of nurses around China are putting their lives in danger every day to treat SARS patients, waging a personal battle against fatigue as well as the highly infectious disease.

"Some of us work a full shift without eating a meal or even having a drink of water," said Wang Kerong, 40, a nurse at Ditan Hospital, which is treating some of the most serious cases.

Dressed in all-over body suits and wearing goggles and gloves, many nurses spurn drinking water to avoid going to the restroom during work time because their work is so difficult. Taking off the protective outfits would take at least 15 minutes, Wang said.

Many health care workers have been quarantined in hospitals or nearby hotels to isolate them from the community.

They pinpointed the vast amount of support from family, friends and the community as enabling them to cope with the stress of their current work.

The epidemic has brought people closer together.

Individuals and companies regularly drop off donations of fruit and food for medical workers at the gates of hospitals.

Outside the People's Hospital, members of the public tied hearts, cards and ribbons to trees, with messages such as "Lovely Angels in White, Take Care."

"We'll definitely win this fight against SARS," Wang said.

But there is a price. For every few patients who recover from SARS, a health worker contracts the deadly disease.

Medical workers comprise nearly 19 per cent of the 5,013 confirmed cases of SARS on China's mainland.

Vice-Premier and Health Minister Wu Yi sent a congratulatory message to the country's medical workers, and nurses in particular, on the occasion of International Nurses Day.

In an open letter to the country's nurses, Wu said they have worked hard and earnestly for years, making great contributions to improving public health in China.

Nurses have consistently placed the public's health and lives before their own, carrying out their duties day and night to care for patients, Wu said. Their professionalism and spirit have earned them praise, respect and trust from the people.

The letter called on medical workers across the country to continue their efforts to prevent and control the disease as the SARS situation remains very serious.

(China Daily May 13, 2003)