Nurses reiterate demands on international day (Updated)

Private nurses reiterated sector’s demands, including salary increases, as state health services organisation (Okypy) honoured nurses on the occasion of the International Nurses’ Day on Friday.

The International Nurses’ Day could be a real celebration if basic issues and demands of the nursing sector had been resolved, said the branch of Workers in Private Hospitals Sevettyk Peo in a statement.

These concern the agreed working conditions through a collective agreement, a collective agreement for all employees, recognition of the scientific nature of the profession and a corresponding salary upgrade and appropriate safety and hygiene in the workplace.

In its statement, branch also expressed its warmest congratulations to all nurses for the commendable work they produce and for the daily battles they fight to defend and care for human health.

To mark the day, the branch visited private hosptials and distributed greeting cards to the nurses.

For its part, Okypy praised nurses for the essential role they play in providing high quality health care.

In a “minimum recognition” of the difficult work nurses perform every day, Okypy said that in recent years, especially during the pandemic, they “put their heart and soul into their daily work”.

Nurses “fought in extremely difficult and unprecedent conditions, succeeding fully in their mission in cooperation with medical staff and other health professionals and keeping the health system of our country intact,” the organisation noted.

This year’s message chosen by the International Council of Nurses ‘Our Nurses. Our Future’ takes added significance, Okypy added, expressing its “deep gratitude” to all its nurses.

The statement came a day after doctors’ 24-hour strike over uncertainty in medical malpractice suit insurance, which Okypy said was “unnecessary”.

According to the state organisation, all doctors currently have professional insurance coverage with state guarantee through a transitional arrangement. It added that Procurement underway for coverage from a private insurer is taking longer than expected, but doctors’ unions had been informed in writing.