Govt wants improved healthcare, DPM tells graduates
SITEKI - Government wants an increase in the number of qualified health care professionals, so as to translate into improved quality and accessibility.
This was said by Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Themba Masuku, during Good Shepherd Catholic College of Health Services’ 49th graduation ceremony, which was held yesterday at the college in Siteki, where 150 graduates were conferred with the certificates, post diplomas and diplomas.
The institution offers Post Diploma in Midwifery, Diploma in General Nursing, Certificate in Nursing Assistant and Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health.
The DPM, who was speaking through the voice of the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Pholile Shakantu, said the recent months had brought into sharp focus the vital contribution that the nursing profession, working together with other health professions, makes to society.
challenge
He said as a nation facing the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic, they had been so greatly inspired and uplifted by the remarkable courage, compassion and generosity of those who worked in health services. He said central to that service were the nurses who delivered such safe and effective care in hospitals, health centres, clinics, hospices and wider communities. He added that the COVID-19 pandemic brought to the fore the need for occupational health to ensure safe working environment.
Thereafter, the DPM said government had made health a priority for the national development agenda and it was pleasing for them to witness the injection of yet another group of young health professionals into the healthcare system.
“The increase in the number of qualified health care professionals should also translate into improved quality of healthcare, as well as more accessibility of healthcare, especially in the rural and underserved areas of the kingdom,” the DPM said.
To the graduates, the DPM said he was glad to be the one to remind them that they were there because they took the opportunity to walk through life eager and open to self-improvement and that which was going to best help them evolve.
He said this was because they chose to study, to evolve as human beings and to grow into more of themselves, always moving to the next level of understanding, the next level of compassion and growth.
He then spelt out three magic words to the graduates, which he said would light up their path ahead. He said the first magic word was life.
The DPM said they lived in a world which was increasingly becoming hostile to life. He said the dignity of life was challenged everywhere. “People are being reduced to labels, numbers and even objects. It is in this context that I
encourage all health professionals, especially nurses to nurture life, value life, cherish life and bring health and healing to the world,” he said.
In this context, he reminded the graduates Michael Jackson’s lines; “Heal the world, make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race. There are people dying. If you care enough for the living, make it a better place for you and for me.”
After that, the DPM said the second magic word was purpose. He said they were all called to be nurses with a purpose to care, give hope and put confidence in people. He said this was a high calling in life and to fulfil that call, they might have to make personal sacrifices.
Mission
In that regard, he told the graduates that they were on a mission with a purpose-the purpose to care, to give hope and to put confidence in people while nursing them back to good health.
Moreover, he said the third magical word was compassion. He said they lived in the age of ever-happening technology.
Masuku said with the artificial intelligence making great progress; today life was becoming more mechanical and robotic.
“Lost is the time of nurse and doctor spending time with his/her patients.
“Health professionals no longer have simple conversations about their patients’ conditions and care planning,” he said.
He added that as Mother Theresa noted; “We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless.
“The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.”