Health Minister thanks nurses for their services

Health Minister, Dr. Ifereimi Waqainabete has today thanked all the nurses and staff of the ministry for their services and also recognised Fiji’s 32nd COVID-19 patient who is a nurse who contracted the virus while serving in the frontline.

While speaking at the launching of the “Purple Ribbon” to mark the International Year of the Nurses and Midwives, Dr. Waqainabete says 427 new graduate nurses have recently been employed by the ministry.

He says more than 230 nurses will also be graduating from the 2 educational institutions at the end of the year.

He adds when he supported the idea of making 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwives during the World Health Assembly in Geneva last year, nobody knew that the Year would be celebrated differently during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Doctor Waqainabete says purple is considered a spiritual colour that relates to the nature of the work that nurses do; full of compassion, kindness and a love of humanity.

There are more than 3000 registered nurses in the country.