By John Travolter Matali
OSHIVELO – The Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Richard Kamwi, has reminded nurses all over the country to honour the Hippocratic Oath and the nurses’ pledge that they swore to uphold.
“We took an oath to help those who cannot help themselves, to be the hands of those without hands, to be the legs of those who cannot walk and the eyes of those who cannot see,” said Kamwi as he handed a laminated copy of the nurses’ pledge
to nursing staff at Oshivelo last week.
He personally requested the pledge be hung on the wall for all to see at the newly opened modern Catherine Bullen Primary Healthcare Clinic at Oshivelo.
In his speech Kamwi lashed out at people who send short message texts (sms) to newspapers asking him to hire unemployed people to work as nurses. “Nursing is a calling and not a job creating project. A calling to serve those who cannot help themselves,” the minister said. He further pointed out the fact nurses are the most vital pillars in health care as the profession is not for the faint-hearted. He said nursing was not an easy job, as most civil servants only worked from 08h00 to 17h00, week days. Despite being civil servants more often than not nurses are called in to assist during emergencies regardless of the time weekdays and weekends alike. The health minister conceded that not all nurses abide by their pledge, but he did, however, mention that the majority of nurses remain true to the nurses’ pledge. He requested the public to practice more restraint when addressing nurses at hospitals and clinics, citing cooperation as key in receiving quality healthcare.
“I will be the first to admit there are some who are not up to this pledge but a majority of nurses are unsung heroes and heroines. Our aim is to bring quality health services closer to the Namibian people, this can only be done with skilled and competent professional personnel who are there to deliver services in a conducive environment. Talk to nurses with respect as they need your undivided cooperation in order for them to serve you with quality,” he further stated.
The health minister urged the Oshivelo community who recently received the N$14.8 million state-of-the art primary healthcare clinic to safe guard it against vandalism and to focus on maintaining it for present and future generations.
“Our aim was not only to liberate this country but to do better than our colonisers, we are trying our best,” he said and in the same vein he thanked the Namibian government for the democracy enjoyed in the country.