Mauritius: The critical role of nurses in primary health care was underpinned by the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, yesterday at an event marking the International Nurses Day (IND) 2023 in Réduit.
On the same occasion, certificates were also awarded to Nursing Officers having followed a two-year course in Leadership for Change Programme. Retired nurses were also prized at the event.
The IND is celebrated every year on 12 May in memory of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, and to valorise the contribution of nurses to the healthcare system. The theme is chosen for 2023, Our Nurses, Our Future, is a global campaign which sets out the future for nursing and seeks to address the global health challenges and improve global health for all.
In his address, Minister Jagutpal extended his best wishes to the nursing community comprising 3 600 Nursing Officers in the public sector, 600 in the private and 240 in Rodrigues, and commended them for being front liners in dealing with disease prevention and care. He seized the opportunity to express his thankfulness to the nursing staff for their relentless hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Jagutpal reiterated the commitment of the Ministry to encourage specialised nurses while listing the various types of specialities, including Dialysis Nurses, Diabetic Nurses, Renal Nurses, and Neo-Natal Critical Care Nurses. He pointed out that the Ministry continuously provides training programmes to further hone the skills of nurses for better customer care.
He, moreover, spoke of the recent recruitment of some 150 trainee nurses who are being trained at the Central School of Nursing. The Polytechnics Mauritius is also providing training programmes to nurses, he added.
The President of the Nursing Association, Ram Nowzadick, also presented placed emphasis on the contribution of nurses to the healthcare system. According to him, it is important to ensure that nurses work in a conducive environment. The need for more training programmes and the recruitment of nurses as well as the rebranding of the Nursing School was highlighted by Nowzadick.
