Health Minister Zweli Mkhize on Tuesday dedicated this year’s International Nurses Day to the health practitioners who died in the ongoing arduous battle against the novel coronavirus (Covid-19). 

“As a department, we recognise the need to prioritise the nursing profession along with the well-being of nurses, and strengthening nursing education, training and practice is one of our strategic objectives,” Mkhize said in a speech marking the annual International Nurses Day at the King Edward VIII Hospital in Durban. 

“Regrettably, our war against the Covid-19 pandemic has cost us lives of our health workers. On behalf of my department, I would like to dedicate this day to all our nurses, especially those nurses who have lost their lives to the pandemic. Their contribution to the fight against the pandemic is immeasurable.” 

Mkhize sent condolences to the families and loved ones of the fallen health-care workers, urging them to “find strength in shared memories”. 

In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife” in honour of the 200th anniversary of the birth of renowned nurse Florence Nightingale. 

“The year 2020 is significant for WHO by recognising the critical role nursing and midwifery play in strengthening universal health coverage. The plan for 2020 is to improve the public’s understanding of the contributions nurses and midwives make in the societies they live in,” said Mkhize. 

He said the global Covid-19 epidemic calls for a different approach to celebrating nurses, “the real leaders of the world to health”. 

“We will listen as our nurses tell us their stories, under the theme 'Voice to Lead: Nursing the World to Health'. I take this opportunity to commend all nurses in our country for your contributions to the health and well-being of our nation in general, and your efforts in the combat against the pandemic,” said Mkhize. 

“For most of our communities, a nurse is the first to be seen at the time of birth. A heartbeat of the health system throughout the lifespan providing preventative, curative and rehabilitative care, and often the last to help close our eyes at the time of end of life.” 

Mkhize said as the world wages a war against Covid- 19, nurses individually and collectively have given their all at the various stages of response, from community to facility level. 

“Your compassion and kindness as you listen and allay fears and anxieties associated with scary news of testing positive for Covid-19 infection does not go unnoticed. Your compassion and comfort to patients who cannot be with their loved ones at the bedside through the journey of Covid-19 is the best gift to our patients, a gift that no amount of money can buy,” said Mkhize. 

“As you nurse our communities during the pandemic, your personal touch is more palpable as you provide a broad range of essential health services, ranging from administering oxygen therapy, ensuring the patient is in the best position for optimal lung function and by being the only health professional privileged to hold the hands of those who succumb to the unseen enemy of our world.” 

President Cyril Ramaphosa also saluted South Africa's nurses and thanked them for their critical contribution to the country's well-being in his message to mark International Nurses Day.

“As a nation, we owe our well-being to the untiring commitment of nurses, whose positive impact on our lives reaches beyond our physical health," Ramaphosa said.