Luanda – Angolan minister of Health Sílvia Lutucuta recognised Friday the dedication and commitment of nurses, which she described as crucial for national health system.
In a message, ahead of the International Nurses Day on Friday, the minister said that these professionals play an essential role in the day-to-day of the sector.
She referred that the date, celebrated in honour of the birth of Florence Nightingale, mother of modern nursing, offers an important opportunity to recognise how fundamental the role that these professionals play is, observing its Code of Ethics and Deontology.
Sílvia Lutucuta underlined that they are always concerned with the development of their technical skills, social awareness and love for others.
She said that this year, the Nurse's Day is marked in a special way, at a time when the world celebrates the success of international coordination, with the end of the COVID-19 emergency, moving to a long-term management transition.
"On this occasion, we pay a simple tribute to all the professionals who perished in the fight against COVID-19, which included all health professionals", she expressed.
The Ministry of Health has defined the repositioning of primary health care, including community health, as one of the key priorities for accelerating access to quality health care.
The minister stated that the role of nurses is fundamental in this equation since, on many occasions, they are the first – and only – health professionals that a patient has access to.
Currently, the Nursing class represents 49.03% of the health workforce.
In the last two public tenders, 2018 and 2019, 21,151 nursing professionals were admitted throughout the country and subsidies for additional hours were implemented for the class.
Sílvia Lutucuta announced that 1,123 nursing technicians in priority specialties are completing post-medium training and that postgraduate nursing specialisation courses will begin shortly.