Health sector cannot perform effectively without profound role of nurses : Razia Bano

Lahore : Principal Nursing College of LGH Razia Bano and Chief Nursing Superintendent Services Hospital Samina Yasmeen have said that health sector cannot perform effectively without profound role of nurses especially in 21^st century. Disease free globe is only possible with vibrant and leadership role of nurses as they know more than all the health force about the chronic issues of health sector. Nurses deserve to be given share in decision making about health care programs. They also need facilities, security and better service structure as they serve the ailing humanity at the helm of affairs.

Samina Yasmeen and Razia Bano expressed these views in connection with World Nursing Day here today. She said that noble profession of nursing is a ray of hope and recovery for patients suffering from various ailments.

She said that patients express even more confidence on nurses than doctors in hospital wards. She told that many more steps and initiatives are needed for the promotion of nursing in Pakistan. She said that role of nurses in health care system has been recognized throughout the world and it is estimated that more 9 million nurse and midwives would be required in future by 2030.

She told that recommend portion for number of doctors and nurses is 1: 4 as recommended internationally. But this proportion is 1: 2.5 in Pakistan so far which reflects the scarcity of nurses in our country.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Nursing Superintendent Lahore General Hospital Ruqaiya Bano, said that nurses are Allah’s blessing for the ailing humanity and they work shoulder to shoulder with male companions to save human lives. She applauded Punjab government for recruiting charge nurses through Punjab Public Service Commission for the first time to uphold merit and transparency. Punjab government has also regularized nurses working on contract basis but the government should also regularize those experienced nurses presently working with Board of Management, she stressed.

Nurses Kishwar Sidique, Asna Mubshra, Sadaf Mushtaq, Naveeda Hameed, Sumaira Razaq, Farzana Shaheen, Asma Abid, Sana Shehzadi, Maria Ali, Iram Tasneem and others said on this occasion that number of nurses must be increased in accordance with rapidly raising the number of patients in hospitals.

They also emphasized that nurses who have done their specializations should be posted in the relevant departments so as to get better results. The nurses demanded that residential facilities in the nurses’ hostels and other basic amenities should be improved for the betterment of nurse community.