Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Tuesday urged nurses to exhibit positive attitudes of humility, love, care, patience and sympathy in the performance of their duties.
Ambode, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr Idiat Adebule, gave the advice at the 10th Annual Nurses Scientific Conference held by the State Health Service Commission in Lagos.
He said that nursing was basically a care-giving profession, which impacts directly on the lives and wellness of every individual in the society; literally from cradle to grave.
”The role of nurses is critical to the well-being of the nation because everybody will interact with a nurse at some point in their lives.
”There is the need for care and attention, and our nurses have a huge role in promoting health, preventing illness, restoring health and alleviating suffering,” the governor said.
Ambode promised that the government would increase its commitment to capacity building, to improve public perception on service delivery of public health institutions.
”We will ensure our public health institutions are capable of providing healthcare and wellness management for the megacity of Lagos, and comparable to global standards,” he said.
Also speaking, wife of the governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, described nursing as a vocation that requires passion, love, care and lifetime humanitarian work to drive adequate healthcare delivery.
She urged nurses in the state to uphold the ethics of the profession for the benefit and good health of the patients.
In his address, Dr Greg Ero, the Chairman of the event, urged the government and private employers of nurses to ensure adequate welfare packages for them to enable them to perform optimally.
Ero said nurses had the most intense interaction with patients, and the wellness of the patient was largely dependent on the nurses.
”Nurses have a very critical role to play in the healthcare delivery system of any nation.
”When the nurses are well taken care of, the health and lives of patients will be highly prioritised,” he said.
In a remark, Ms Olaide Animashaun, the Director of Nursing Services, Lagos State, said the conference was to help nurses deliberate on issues affecting the quality of nursing in the state.
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