Department commemorates International Nurses Day in Western Cape
The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo will on Monday, 13 May lead the International Nurses Day commemorative event in Cape Town as the country joins the global community to recognise the tireless efforts of nurses in providing compassionate care and promoting health and wellness in communities.
Nurses are usually the first primary care contact for the patients and are also responsible for recognizing patients' symptoms, taking measures within their scope of practice to administer medications, providing other measures for symptom alleviation, and collaborating with other health professionals to optimise patients' comfort and families' understanding and adaptation.
International Nurses Day is celebrated annually on 12 May in memory of the birth of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale who was regarded as the foundational philosopher of modern nursing.
The 2024 International Nurses Day will be celebrated under the theme: “Our Nurses, Our Future”, the economic power of care which serves as a clarion call by the International Council of Nurses to countries to address the global health challenges and improve global health for all.
The Western Cape event is as part of countrywide activities to honour nurses for the important role they play in saving millions of lives and raise awareness of the challenges they face.
Deputy Minister Dhlomo will be joined by Western Cape MEC for Health and Wellness, Dr Nomafrench Mbombo, US Consular General for Cape Town Consulate,Mr Todd Haskell, Acting PEPFAR Country Coordinator, Ms Saira Johnson-Qureshi, leaders of nursing trade unions and representatives of key stakeholders in the health sector.
The event will culminate with the launch of Nursing Leadership Initiative aimed at building leadership capacity among current and emerging nurse leaders in practice, education and training to empower them with leadership skills.
This is a joint collaboration between the Department of Health and PEPFAR, which forms part of a plan to elevate the nursing profession within PEPFAR-supported countries as part of a larger effort to strengthen the healthcare workforce globally and ensure HIV response gains are sustained
Members of the media are invited to attend the events scheduled as follows:
Date: Monday, 13 May 2024
Venue: Western Cape College of Nursing, Athlone - Cape Town
Times: 10h00
For RSVP: Mr Howard Kgoa – 0798769247/ howard.kgoa@health.gov.za
For more information and media enquiries, please contact:
Foster Mohale
National Health Department Spokesperson
Cell: 072 432 3792
E-mail: Foster.mohale@health.gov.za
Luke Albert
MLO for Health and Wellness MEC
Cell: 076 063 9923
E-mail: Luke.Albert@westerncape.gov.za
