DHAKA, May 4, 2020 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today greeted all members of the nursing and midwifery professions on the occasion of the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife for celebrating the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale.
“I am highly delighted to know that the World Health Assembly has declared 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife for celebrating the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the pioneer of modern nursing profession,” she said in a message here on the eve of the International Day of the Midwife (IDM).
Every year, the IDM is observed on May 5 as a mark of recognition to the contribution of midwives to saving lives of women, adolescent girls and newborns, sometimes under very difficult circumstances.
Noting that Florence Nightingale dedicated her whole life for the care of the sick people, Sheikh Hasina said for her endless compassion, the soldiers who were wounded in the Crimea War called her as ‘Lady with the Lamp. Others called her ‘the Angel of Crimea’”.
The day will particularly focus on the issue ‘Care with compassion, we are always beside you’, to my mind this is a more relevant deserves attention from all, the premier said, adding the International Year of Nurse and Midwife has beautifully aligned with Mujib Year 2020.
“Our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had an intense feeling to improve the nursing services and endeavoured to make it a dignified profession in the society.
I believe that the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife will serve as a global platform to improve health care by raising the status and profile of nursing and midwifery,” Sheikh Hasina said.
Highliting the present goverbment’s initiatives to improve this sector through establishing a number of nursing institutes and colleges, upgrading and strengthening nursing and midwifery workforces and creating additional position with training and higher studies, the prime minister said, therefore, it is a great occasion to recognize the immense contribution of nurses and midwives to achieving tremendous progress in health sector and rendering quality health services to the patients.
“I congratulate all members of this profession and wish International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife 2020 a grand success,” she added.