NML Issue 10
NMLTT
2021
Protect.
Invest.
Together.
4
ROLE NURSES AND MIDWIVES PLAY IN HEALTH CARE PROVISION IN UGANDA By: Dr. Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Uganda On behalf of the Ministry of Health and on my own behalf, I greet and thank all nurses and midwives for your service and always identifying strategies that build the profession. It is evident that nurses and midwives have enthusiasm and motivation in improving the health care system that builds a healthy population. Their enormous contributions in the provision of quality health care services can never be challenged. Nurses and midwives are truly the backbone of Health Care. During the pandemic, they made up the biggest number of frontline health workers and are visible at all levels of care and in all health facilities. Thank you to the Think Tank for your contributions in the fight against Covid 19 pandemic by providing PPE to nurses in some health facilities. This was through your individual contributions from meagre resources, and we are grateful for that. I encourage you to take Covid-19 vaccination seriously since you are at the highest risk of infections being at the forefront. The Ministry of Health is aware of the shortage of nurses and midwives at all health care levels and all possible measures are being taken to address this situation. We have embarked on specialised training for nurses and midwives to match the identified needs such as the ongoing training of nurses in critical care. The Ministry of Health is committed to improved health outcomes as a result of properly onboarded and engaged health workers by ensuring promotion, proper remuneration, recruiting and training in the required skills for nurses and midwives at all levels to promote quality health service delivery to our population. Given that a big proportion of the disease burden is due to preventable illnesses, nurses and midwives are best positioned to promote primary health care and practice the principles of accessibility, public participation, health promotion, use of appropriate technology and inter sectoral cooperation during their day-to-day engagements. This will boost participation in government community-based sectors to improve their hands-on provision of reasonable and timely access to public health care services. Finally, as you are all aware, our country is now experiencing the second wave of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Therefore, let me take this opportunity once again to urge all nurses and midwives to take up the Covid-19 vaccine at the earliest possible opportunity and continue observing SOPs. For God and My Country
Dr. Diana Atwine. Permanent Secretary, MoH, Uganda. 4
