Commemorating over 260 Nurses Who Died of COVID19
Tuesday 12th of May 2020
Commemorating over 260 Nurses Who Died of COVID19
On 12th May, as we celebrate International Nurses’ Day, the whole world stands to salute the sacrifices made by these heroic people. Today, they are more than just frontline health care workers. They have risked their own lives, stayed away from their families and worked hard day and night without a break to make sure their country is safe. And COVID19 has taken over 260 nurses from us.
On 6th May, Geneva reported that at least 90,000 healthcare workers had been infected and more than 260 nurses had died in the novel coronavirus pandemic. Further, The International Council of Nurses stated that “If nothing changes, healthcare worker deaths could reach the thousands." They called on governments to better monitor and record infection and death rates of health workers.
Photo: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-04/07/c_138954950.htm
ICN’s Chief Executive Officer Howard Catton says that Nurses and healthcare workers have been put at greater risk because of the lack of PPE and poor preparedness for this pandemic. ‘As a result, we have seen infection rates and, tragically, deaths rise on a daily basis. Governments’ failure to collect this information in a consistent way means we do not have the data that would add to the science that could improve infection control and prevention measures and save the lives of other healthcare workers.’
While these nurses put their lives at stake for us, it is our duty to ensure that they are provided with the protection they need. In some hospitals, they are instructed, instead of throwing protective masks away after treating contagious patients, to store them in paper bags. The works of nurses should be recognized and appreciated.