TimesLIVE reports that on Wednesday the world recognised International Nurses Day, with 12 May being the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who discovered the link between disease and healthcare, from the cleanliness of wards to the food and quality of the air patients received.
Not in recent history has there been a time more important to appreciate nurses. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) announced the theme for International Nurses Day 2021 as “A Vision for Future Healthcare”. According to the ICN, the theme reflects on the effect of Covid-19 on the health system and the nursing profession and how these might be affected into the future. ICN president Annette Kennedy said: “This global Covid-19 pandemic has shown the world the important role that nurses play in keeping people healthy across the lifespan.” But many of SA's nurses still struggle with low wages, exhaustion and a lack of PPE. The SA Nursing Council encouraged local nurses to share their stories, in case-study form, with the ICN. Gudani Tshivhi, a nurse from a hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, stated: “It was very stressful in the beginning (of the pandemic) but now I feel like everything feels normal. The thing is they never gave us money, not even a small increase, to say thank you for the job that we have been doing.” Ndivhaleni Mudau, a nurse from Western Cape, said that having worked hard during the pandemic and under pressure, nurses would really appreciate increases. The 43-year-old nurse added that the past year had been stressful as a lot had changed in a short time due to Covid-19.
- Read the full original of the detailed report in the above regard by Shonisani Tshikalange and Alex Patrick at TimesLIVE
- Read too, Unions slam dire conditions as world Nurses Day dawns, on page 3 of The Star of 12 May 2021
- And also, International Nurses Day: COVID-19 highlights critical role of nurses in health sector, at SABC News
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