Some nurses and midwives in Jonglei State have lamented the dire state of their professions saying they have been neglected.
Speaking during the commemoration of International Nurses Day (IND), Anyieth John, the chairperson of Jonglei State Nurses & Midwives said the work environment for the health professionals remained unfriendly.
“As nurses working in South Sudan we have also registered some challenges in our day to day activities such as lack of job vacancies for nurses and midwives, unfriendly working environment, and being looked down upon by the institutions they serve,” he lamented.
He said it was time the state of reproductive health in the country is reviewed.
“In South Sudan, it’s high time to reflect on the different reproductive health indicators directly supported by midwives on how well it has performed, what indicators are improving, what is the gap and how much effort is still needed to improve maternal and child health indicators,” said John.
“International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) commemorates this important day each year and encourages nurses everywhere to do likewise and in order to build resilience,” he added.
Annie added that nurses are the engine room of the health system and are required to respond to the health needs of individuals, communities and the world.
The South Sudan Nurses & Midwives Association (SSNWA) has last week commemorated the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) under the theme ‘Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Invest in Nursing and Respect Rights to Secure Global Health’
The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) was established in the late 1980s. It is an occasion for every individual midwife to network and widens their knowledge of what midwives do for the world.
For his part, David Ghai Deer, the County Program Officer at IMA said the organization has been working in Bor throughout, providing and strengthening health services alongside other sister projects.
