ISLAMABAD, Jan 8 (APP):President Dr Arif Alvi Tuesday declared the 2019 as year for nursing in Pakistan to highlight the significant role played by people associated with the nursing and midwifery profession.
He also announced launch of the ‘Nursing Now’ chapter of Pakistan, an ambitious project of the
Nursing Now campaign which kick-started worldwide in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO)
and International Council of Nurses, with aims to raise the status and profile of nursing.
The President made these announcements at the first Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery summit and the
launch of Nursing Now Pakistan campaign ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
The President said enhancing the role of nursing and investment in this sector were the causes closed
to their hearts as this profession was regarded as the backbone of the healthcare sector.
He stressed the need for proper education, training and capacity building of the women associated
with the nursing and midwifery services, besides imparting them leadership role in the decision making.
The President announced that nursing diplomas would be replaced with degree programmes and the
government was committed to double the strength of people in the nursing sector within two years.
A national nursing university would be established in Islamabad which would provide training to 25,000
people yearly, he further informed.
Linking the issue of poverty with health, the President underlined the role of health professionals and
nurses in alleviating the sufferings of ailing humanity and cited certain challenges in the health sector
including the issue of stunted growth.
The President said by observing the nursing year in Pakistan, they would emphasis the importance and contributions made by the people associated with this field.
The President noted that when the country had healthy population, it would grow economically and lead
to a prosperity.
Lauding the role of Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Aamir Mehmood
Kiani, the president assured that the government and, he himself would continue playing effective role in
uplifting the nursing profession.
The president also stressed upon the need to increase the number of nurses to properly look after patients.
He also highlighted the need for provision of harassment free environment to females preferring to adopt the
nursing and midwifery profession and called for their protection, so that they could perform their noble cause
without any stress.
The President announced that government would also provide scholarships to the students and nurses.
He also cited pieces of Hadiths and Quranic verses emphasizing the importance of helping and caring
the ailing persons and said the people in the nursing profession should take strength from the Islamic ethos
for serving the humanity.
The President underscored the need to keep realization of the pain and sufferings of humanity as the basic sentiment which should not be suppressed.
Addressing the ceremony, Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Aamir
Mehmood Kiani lauded the services and contributions made by the nurses in the health sector and said
the government was committed to show its results in health sector in the years ahead.
He said the Prime Minister had taken keen interests in the health sector and added that late last night
Imran Khan himself drove to different hospitals in Rawalpindi and inquired about the facilities
provided to patients.
The minister said the President had also expressed his full commitment to the uplift of health services in the country under his vision as he had also been associated with this profession.
He informed that a nursing university would be established on the land of National Institute of Health (NIH)
and said shortage of nurses would be overcome.
Kiani also assured to resolve all the issues confronted by the nurses as it was the top priority of the
government.
Director-General WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and representative of the Nursing Now, said the campaign running in the seventy countries across the globe would focus on the core areas by enhancing
the role and voice of nurses and midwives in health policy-making, encouraging investment in the nursing
workforce and recruiting more nurses into leadership role with focus on research, proper training and the
best nursing practices.
They also appreciated government of Pakistan for taking initiatives in the health sector.
