City hails its nurses on International Nurses’ Day
JOBURG – Worldwide, each year, May is the month when nurses of all varieties are hailed and revered, and the City of Johannesburg was not left behind as nurses who availed their services during the Ebola crisis in West Africa were singled out for special praise at the International Nurses’ Day’s celebrations.
These days and weeks of recognition are a way for all stakeholders, including the nursing professional associations, to honour their members and promote nursing careers to potential future nurses. Additionally, it is a time for employers to recognise their nursing staff.
In that spirit, Johannesburg Member of the Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development, councillor Nonceba Molwele said, “It is compatriots like these who understand the value of internationalism as furtherance of sisterly and brotherly love.”
More than 11 000 people were killed by Ebola in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia since its outbreak in December 2013 – the worst Ebola crisis in history.
This year’s international Nurses’ Day was celebrated at the Lakeside Hotel and Conference Centre in Benoni on the East Rand, and the day is observed annually on May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday.
Molwele commended the city’s nurses for their devotion and dedication to providing world-class health services despite the enormous challenges they faced. She said though nurses were not always appreciated for their hard work and caring attitude, they represented hope for a healthy Joburg.
She said, “As you reflect today on the challenges you face due to sicknesses that afflict the vulnerable and the poorest of the poor, remember that you are their last hope, that is, you stand between their despair and hope. To have people dependent on you for comfort and care, particularly when they are between life and death, is a heavy responsibility to carry on one’s shoulders.
“I admire your courage and resilience. As you soldier on in this noble profession, remember that our country relies on you for the caring of the sick and physically infirm,” she said.
Molwele admitted that overcrowding and budgetary constraints are some of the challenges clinics face. But she said the City which has a portfolio of 88 primary healthcare facilities, has ongoing plans to build new clinics and revamp existing ones.
She commended the nurses, who often worked under tough conditions.
“Our nurses are faced with frustrated patients who vent their anger and frustrations on them. Their patience under these trying circumstances is commendable. Long queues will soon be a thing of the past because this government is committed to creating a better life for all,” Molwele said.
Do you think enough is done to show appreciation to nurses? Comment below, and let us know.
