Nurses are selfless, dedicated - PS

MBABANE - In spite some of the glaring challenges faced by the nursing cadre, government still views them as selfless and dedicated professionals.

Dr Simon Zwane, the Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Health said the International Nurse’s Day was a special day for the ministry. “We celebrate them for their selfless dedication to the call,” he said. He also said it was visible that some of the nurses went beyond the call of duty to serve and save lives daily.

Dr Zwane admitted that the working environment needed to be improved to make it more conducive for healthcare workers, so that they could improve on their productivity.

“The ministry and government will continue to support initiatives of improving the work environment,” Dr Zwane said. The PS also revealed that there were already initiatives that were in line with this year’s theme ‘investing in nurses’; which entailed training, filling of vacant posts and other improvements.

“We honour the nurses as they continue to take care of the nation’s health needs,” he added.

Meanwhile, nurses on the other hand urged the public to join them in their protests over the challenges they faced every day while trying to save lives.

Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union’s (SWADNU) Mayibongwe Masangane, said the public could

collaborate with nurses to ensure that both nurses and the public had a good relationship. “Understanding that nurses cannot lie about the state of the healthcare system in the country is important,” he said. Masangane emphasised that the public should also demand quality public healthcare services from the authorities. “This can be done by joining nurses in their protests on such issues,” he added.

AFFECTED

He also mentioned that the shortage of staff affected the nurses at the workplace, because they were then overwhelmed by the magnitude of the work. “This results in burnout of the staff and they become demotivated,” he said.

Masangane also urged government to provide the necessary equipment and drugs, as well as adequate human resources to carry out the tasks

at hand.

One member of the public, Siyabonga Magagula, said the issues tabled by nurses belonged to everyone who was a beneficiary of the healthcare system in the country. “It is true that when they strike over medicine shortage, they are doing it for us,” Magagula said. She also said it was unfortunate that when they delivered petitions and engaged in strikes, they were always on their own. “We are all sick, one way or the other and if we watch from a distance, we are also watching our own lives perish,” Magagula said.

Another member of the public, Musa Mngometulu lamented that the dates of the nurse’s actions were usually not revealed, hence the little support. “This is a true struggle that we need to partake in,” he said.

He also added that in as much as everything else was important, the

Ministry of Health needed to prioritise the nurses needs. “Without the healthcare system, we are good as dead,” he said. Choice Mkhatshwa said the public also needed to support the nurses. “Nurses do not need the medication for themselves, but for the public,” she said.

However, a member of the public *Sebe, who preferred to remain anonymous, asked if teachers received backing from the public. “Even teachers are the ones who shape an empty brain into a nurse; they also need support too,” she said. Sebe also acknowledged that the role played by nurses was huge in the country and deserved to be supported. “We need to support everyone because that is the only way they will be heard and serious action taken,” she said.

*Not real name