. Wina

By CATHERINE NYIRENDA –
VICE-PRESIDENT Inonge Wina has warned health workers against mistreating patients and members of the public seeking health services.
Ms Wina also appealed to members of the public to assist health workers provide quality healthcare services by respecting them as they performed their duties.
“To all health workers countrywide, I would like to urge you to put your patients first, be mindful of your attitudes and always be respectful and courteous to the people you serve,” Ms Wina said.
Ms Wina said the general public should help health workers provide their services effectively as being rude or using unpalatable language did not help matters.
Ms Wina said this during the first combined graduation ceremony for Lusaka-based Government and private nursing colleges held at the Government Complex yesterday.
The schools included the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Lusaka School of Nursing and Midwifery, Makeni School of Nursing and the Lusaka Health Institute of Nursing. The total number of graduates was 319.
“The goal of nursing care is to help patients to recover, maintain and achieve the best quality life,” she said.
Ms Wina commended the UTH management and the schools of nursing for introducing new training programmes such as combined registered nurse midwifery and paediatrics and child health nursing.
She also commended the UTH management for allowing nursing students from the private institutions to practise at the hospital.
Ms Wina said the Government provided over K3.5 million to the UTH School of Nursing and Midwifery to procure teaching models, equipment and construction of staff houses.
She thanked the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) for the roll-out of training in emergency management of obstetric as it would equip nurses and midwives to effectively care for mothers and reduce maternal and child mortality.
Of the 319 graduands, 206 were from the UTH Lusaka School of Nursing and Midwifery, 76 from Makeni College of Nursing and 37 from Lusaka Health Institute of Nursing.
UTH managing director Luckson Kasonka said UTH Lusaka School of Nursing had recorded positive progress from the time the school opened in 1968 by increasing the number of programmes it was offering from two to six at present.
General Nursing Council registrar Universe Mulenga urged the graduates to be professional and adhere to the code of ethics for nurses in the course of work.