Non-recognition of International Nurses Day unprecedented

As public healthcare Nurses and members of the Guyana Public Service Union, we have observed that there was eerie silence in the print media on the celebration of International

Nurses Day, which was celebrated on May 12, 2021. Particularly, the four major media houses of Kaieteur News, Guyana Chronicle, Stabroek News and Guyana Times made no mention or published any messages in relation to the occasion. It was as if we the Nurses were nonexistent or were not worthy of recognition, even though we toil daily to save lives, are seriously underpaid, but because of commitment toil relentlessly to save lives. Yes! Relentlessly and selflessly on a daily basis, we toil at great risk to our lives and those of our families. Now! Imagine if that was you, would you not be hurt?

We have observed that the President of the GPSU, Mr. Patrick Yarde, through communication accessed

on the Union’s website, has expressed his bewilderment and condemnation because of the insensitivity shown by not / publishing his or other salutations for the occasion and we were aware that there was a message on the government website from the Minister of Health, which eventually found its way to the Chronicle Newspaper on the day after International Nurses Day, May 13, 2021.

Finally, what we found most upsetting is that the Nurses Association did not publicly associate itself with the International Nurses Day and displayed no praises for our performance even though it is the most demanding time of our lifetime that is saturated with all forms of risks and which have contributed to many infections within our ranks and the death of a colleague. This experience is unprecedented and very painful, since we are of the view that we deserve far better treatment and recognition that what has been displayed this year, nationally.