TIRANA, May 12 /ATA/ – Minister of Health and Social Protection Ogerta Manastirliu praised the role and contribution of nurses, who have been working around the clock to care for those infected with COVID-19 and fighting for their lives.
In her remarks at the event marking the International Nurses Day in Tirana, Health Minister Manastirliu expressed her gratitude to the country’s 13,820 nurses, saying they are the heart of the health-care system.
“Over these difficult months of the pandemic, I have often thought about Florence Nightingale, or The Lady with the Lamp, the epitome of the nurses’ mission, who once said: ‘I am of certain convinced that the greatest heroes are those who do their duty in the daily grind of domestic affairs whilst the world whirls as a maddening dreidel,” Manastirliu said.
“You are the embodiment of this daily grind, which was vital to each and every one of us at this time when the unusual, the fear of the unknown and the pain of losing our loved ones were among us. I will never forget the early days of last March, when everyone gathered around their family, while you left your own families to become the family of those who suffered from an insidious and dangerous virus that hit Albania and the whole world,” she said.
“It is a generation of young nurses we have provided the opportunity to take up job in the health system through a merit-based and transparent system, a new tool we established 2018, namely Nurses for Albania portal. Three years later, I am proud to say that the portal is a success story as more than 3,000 nurses have been hired through it. The pandemic, this unusual event humanity faces once in 100 years, showed our decision was right,” she said.
Health Minister noted that the investment to boost the system’s capacities to cope with the pandemic started with the human resources.
“A total of 1335 nurses were hired during the months of the pandemic and joined the frontline medical personnel in the fight against COVID-19. And these are not merely figures, but they are young boys and girls who have chosen to accomplish a noble mission to care for people and save lives,” she said.
Health Minister paid tribute to 11 Albanian nurses who lost their lives after contracting COVID-19 while serving patients.
“11 nurses who lost their lives are a huge loss for their families and friends, as well as for the health system and we will always remember them with gratitude and respect,” Manastirilu said.
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