They say that selfless service and hard work can take you places as long as you remain committed to the task at hand. This self-made passage and one which we often hear from our parents and elders, can well be the motto and foundation for the journey of one such inspirational character. A beacon for nurses and the entire community at large, Major General Sonali Ghosal is a living embodiment of these philosophies and principles. She is the example of what people from ardently humble backgrounds can achieve with sincerity, dedication and honesty.
The pride of West Bengal, Major General Sonali Ghosal has been in the news across the country for assuming charge as the new chief of Military Nursing Service, one of the country’s most dignified and finest institutions. However, it has been a long journey and one that was not without its perils. Yet, Major General Ghosal has come a long way from her humble beginnings towards being the beacon of inspiration for thousands of nursing professionals today. Her life is the stuff that dreams are made of although it is characterized by unimaginable hard work as well.
A glittering and chequered career
Major General Sonali Ghosal has formerly served in Operation Sadbhavana, which is the pioneering military civic action blueprint launched in the North East Region and Jammu & Kashmir by the Indian Army. She has several feathers in her cap over the years, the latest one being the position of Additional Director General (ADG ), Military Nursing Service. She takes over as successor to another inspirational leader, Major General Joyce Gladys who relinquished the position upon her superannuation. Gladys has served the Indian Army for close to four decades now.
An alumnus of the feted School of Nursing, Indian Naval Hospital Ship Asvini, Mumbai, Sonali Ghosal was formally commissioned into the Indian Army back in the year 1981. Prior to her latest promotion as the new chef of Military Nursing Service, she was posted at the Army Hospital, Research & Referral, Delhi Cantonment, as the Principal Matron. Her service during Operation Sadbhavana has earned her the goodwill and plaudits of her colleagues and superiors in the Indian Army along with the general public at large. She was also awarded the prestigious Chief of the Army Staff Commendation Card in the year 2014. This was in recognition of her distinguished and highly meritorious service over the years. Ghosal has also earned recognition for serving wounded soldiers during Operation Blue Star where she was one of the selfless nursing specialists at the forefront.
A well-deserved promotion, Major General Ghosal is expected to maintain the highest service standards as is her hallmark while inculcating better standards, infrastructure and progressive measures amongst her peers and colleagues.
A humble and positive personality
Major General Sonali Ghosal is a leader for all seasons and has completed 39 years of service in the Indian Army. A close to four-decade journey of selfless service and the constant pursuit of excellence has kept her committed to her basic principles over all these years. Having been a part of several major operations and having served and tended to innumerable wounded and afflicted soldiers, Major General Ghosal is as unassuming as ever.
Her positive and humble personality is the biggest testament to her leadership and her rapport with her juniors and Army colleagues. Major General Ghosal has herself talked about the quest for achieving excellence in nursing. She has officially gone on record saying that this quest has continually been her core value and principle from the start itself. Sonali Ghosal has always believed that the nursing profession is upheld strongly by its pure virtues. These include complete dedication, commitment towards serving mankind and of course, service above all else. This official statement is the clarion call for today’s nursing community and younger aspirants towards recognizing the key traits behind this successful personality.
Major General Sonali Ghosal will forever be a source of immense inspiration for young nursing aspirants not just from her home State of West Bengal but also for nursing professionals throughout the country. With her tireless service and commitment to the Nation, she has proved that nursing is indeed a noble profession, one that demands the highest levels of excellence, service and tireless dedication. These are core values that she has lived by in her own words, throughout all these years. Yes, there have been sacrifices and hurdles along the way, considering the fact that Major General Ghosal has been a part of several path-breaking initiatives in several troubled regions or diverse circumstances. However, she has managed to sail through all obstacles with her beaming smile and never-say-die approach.
She has always testified to the love and respect that she has received from her colleagues, juniors, seniors and other mentors in life. Major General Ghosal has also benefited immensely from the leadership and mentoring of Joyce Gladys, her predecessor. Her new appointment comes as a major ray of hope for nurses in the country while paving the way for a new era of leadership. Her beaming smile speaks not of the troubles she has undergone or all that she does to serve the Nation on a regular basis. It talks of determination encased in a positive approach and spirit to conquer all obstacles. A hard nut to crack but with a softer layer that makes her such a winning personality. That is Major General Sonali Ghosal in a nutshell for you.
Read More Stories: Mumbai’s tiger-hearted Mayor!
