Workers at the Nyanga Community Health Centre marked International Nurses Day (IND) by educating and empowering each other on Monday 12 May.
The IND is celebrated worldwide to honour the birth of Florence Nightingale and workers gathered at the facility boardroom to help each other.
Pumla Mgqaliso, facility manager, described the occasion as a special event. She said the day reminded them of the person who started the profession.
“Florence Nightingale was born on 12 May 1820 and she was the first professional nurse. Her first commendation was on 12 May 1962. The aim is to recognise the role played by nurses in society,” she explained.
Mgqaliso described their profession as difficult. She said it required a lot of perseverance. She stated that nursing is one of the essential works that needs to be respected. “We are also trying to promote our profession as we feel it is undermined by many people. People don’t take us seriously. They undermine us even though we are one of the people on the front line,” she said.
Mgqaliso said many clinics have changed as they are now outsourcing their services. “We have community-oriented primary care (COPC) who are visiting our communities, providing services. Instead of the patients coming to the centre, we have people visiting their homes rendering some of the services. Our aim is to bring the services closer to the people,” she explained.
She mentioned the testing of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), high blood pressure, HIV etc as some of the services they render to the communities.
Mgqibisa described their relationship with the community as solid.
Sister Amanda Silingo, who works at the paediatrics Unit with children under five years old, described the occasion as special.
She highlighted the shortage of staff as a major challenge. “We are supposed to cater for children from Nyanga only, but because people like our services they come as far as Delft, Samora Machel, Philippi, Gugulethu, Lower Crossroads and Crossroads. Sometimes we have no lunch because we want to help everyone,” she
explained.
