Cape Argus reports that nurses on the front line of the Covid-19 fight were honoured on Tuesday as part of International Nurses Day.  Nehawu commemorated the occasion and held a virtual address for all workers, and for nurses in particular, amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.  

The theme for this year’s commemoration was ‘Nurses: A voice to Lead - Nursing the world to health’.  Nehawu’s Nobukhosi Xulu said:  “These front line workers, especially the nurses fraternity, are required to perform miracles with limited protective equipment, infrastructure and human resources.  As we mark International Nurses Day, it’s important to emphasise the urgent need for the broader overall transformation of the healthcare sector in particular the nursing fraternity.”  Health Minister Zweli Mkhize dedicated this year’s International Nurses Day to the health practitioners who had died in the ongoing arduous battle against the novel coronavirus.  “As a department, we recognise the need to prioritise the nursing profession along with the well-being of nurses, and strengthening nursing education, training and practice is one of our strategic objectives,” Mkhize said in a speech marking the occasion at King Edward VIII Hospital in Durban.  Fedusa’s Riefdah Ajam called on the SA Nursing Council (SANC) to intensify demands for the Department of Health to provide protective gear to nurses and other healthcare workers.  President Cyril Ramaphosa saluted SA’s nurses and thanked them for their critical contribution to the country’s well-being in a message to mark International Nurses’ Day.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marvin Charles at Cape Argus

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