International Medal Awarded to New Zealand Red Cross Aid Worker

New Zealand Red Cross aid worker Joyce Hood will receive the highest honour in the nursing profession on 18 March.

The Florence Nightingale medal is awarded to people who distinguish themselves in times of peace or war by showing exceptional courage and devotion to the wounded, sick or disabled or to civilian victims of conflict or disaster.

Ms Hood has returned to New Zealand from Iraq to attend an award ceremony hosted by Their Excellencies The Governor-General of New Zealand The Honourable Sir Anand Satyanand and Lady Susan Satyanand in association with New Zealand Red Cross.

The ceremony will commemorate the 12 years of duty and service to others Ms Hood has given on 11 missions, during 80 months in highly volatile areas such as Afghanistan, Timor-Leste and Iraq.

Speaking from Najaf, Iraq, Ms Hood says, “I am humbled to be awarded the Florence Nightingale medal. I love my the work that I do with New Zealand Red Cross and I get just as much back from it as I give.”

Ms Hood is the project manager for the medical training programme in Najaf, where she runs courses for doctors and nurses to update their emergency care skills as well as giving bedside teaching.

Ms Hood has previously received the New Zealand Operational Service Medal and the New Zealand General Service Medal for her work in Afghanistan.

This year, New Zealand Red Cross celebrates 50 years of its international humanitarian aid worker programme, which sees up to 30 Kiwi aid workers overseas at any one time.

Media are invited to attend this event at Government House Vogel and will need to RSVP by 5pm, 17 March with full names of all attendees to obtain security passes.

Interviews with Ms Hood can be arranged from 15 March to 24 March after which she will again be overseas. High resolution pictures of Ms Hood are available.

Joyce Hood’s mission history with New Zealand Red Cross

2010 Iraq, Najaf

2009 South Ossetia, Tskhinvali

2008 South Ossetia, Tskhinvali

2007 Sudan, Khartoum

2006 Afghanistan, Kandahar

2004 Afghanistan, Jalalabad

2003 Afghanistan, Kandahar

2002 Kenya, Lokichokia

2001 Sudan, Juba

2000 Timor-Leste, Dili

1999 Afghanistan, Kandahar

ENDS