12 May 2010 | Health.
On May 12 every year, we dedicate the day to our dearly loved nurses. It is a great honour to be in that profession; it is a privilege to make a difference in the lives of so many of our compatriots.
When the doctors have made their rounds, and visiting hours are up, we are left in the company of the nurses for the loving care, comfort and silent prayers to the sick and their families. Often, our ever-smiling nurses are the only ones around to offer us their broad shoulders to rest on when we are not well.
We owe the nurses our gratitude for looking after our health. That is why we have Nurses Day to celebrate their work and elevate the profile of their vocation. I say a big thank you to all our nurses for dedicating their lives to caring for the health of our nation.
The world theme for Nurses Day 2010 is Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Chronic Care. Seychelles, like all other countries in the world, has its growing lists of chronic diseases. We have HIV/AIDS, diabetes, cardiovascular cases and cancer. We also now have to deal with diseases linked to alcoholism and the shared use of non-sterilised syringes by drug addicts.
Many of the diseases are linked to lifestyles. They are preventable. On this Nurses Day I, once again, appeal to our health authorities, the non-governmental organizations, churches and all citizens, to redouble our prevention efforts. We can achieve a lot through education, good consumption habits and the adoption of healthy lifestyles. These will reduce cases of chronic illnesses.
Our nurses find themselves at the forefront in the campaign to stop the rise in chronic illnesses and care for patients already affected. Providing appropriate and free access to universal health care remains one of the priorities of our government.
That is why we also always recognize the potential for our nurses to contribute to improvements in the health of our population. As we look for ways to cope with the increasing numbers of people needing chronic care, we invite all our nurses to make the best of training opportunities, take the initiative and engage with others in the community to manage chronic diseases.
It will be a huge achievement if we could stop the increase in cases of HIV/AIDS, alcoholism, drug addiction, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. It will also be another success if we could improve the care we give to those affected, to enable the patients to live fulfilling and productive lives.
I know that our nurses, because of their close relationship with our communities, are taking up the challenge. They are the healthy role models for their own families and our families, the patients and communities.
Our nurses are key players in making Seychelles ready for the future:Â We are counting on them to make a difference just as they also count on us for support.
The Seychellois nation, my family and I join together in wishing our nurses a wonderful day. We pray for happiness in their lives and continued success in their vocation. We also pray that they take great care of themselves as well as their patients.
May God bless you all!
