International Nursing Week is celebrated around the world with weeklong activities that starts on the 5th of May to climax on May 12 the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth.
International Council Of Nurses commemorates this important day each year with the production and distribution of the International Nurses’ Day (IND) resources and evidence as the theme for this year’s International Nurses Day is “Our Nurses, Our Future”.
The Honourable Commisioner for Health Dr Janet Ekpenyong while sending her felicitation in commemoration of this year’s event alludes that this year’s event themed “Our Nurses, Our Future” is a global campaign which aims to address global health challenges and achieve better global health for all in the nearest possible future.
She retorted that Our Nurses, Our Future will be a global campaign which sets out what we want for nursing in the future in order to address the global health challenges and improve global health for all opining that it is expedient to learn from the lessons of the pandemic and translate these into actions of the future that will forestall all of such occurrences.
She was particularly thankful to the nurses in the state whom she described as angels in white who are the true caregivers and saviours of humanity.
She however expressed positive optimism that the noble profession in the state will be experiencing certain impressive changes as the state government has shown commitments in ensuring everything is put in place to enable the discharge of their duties and services.
Dr. Ekpenyong said the government had passed into law a salary structure that will see nurses and other health professionals in the state earn pay packages equivalent to their federal countetparts. She also mentioned that the state government is in the finishing state of recruiting more hands to fill the existing gaps in this sector so as to up the manpower that will aid prompt and apt service delivery.
Also worthy of note is the efforts of the government in ensuring additional nursing colleges are added to the status of the state with full accreditation and recognition by the National Technical Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Council is met.
All these will ensure that the recent regrettable trend of brain drain is curbed and brain gain enhanced to strengthen a formidable health sector system in our state nay Nigeria.
She encouraged and charged the Nurses to be of good cheer and high spirit in the discharge of their duties even as she wished them a happy INW celebration.
Kenneth Anam
MOH Calabar
12.05.2023
