K.H.M.H. Nurses Participate in Walk-a-thon
At some point in your life, whether as a baby or an adult, you’ve come in contact with a nurse or midwife. These persons play a vital role in providing health services, and many times are the first and only point of healthcare in communities. According to the World Health Organization, the world needs nine million more nurses and midwives if it is to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. It is for that reason that the World Health Assembly has designated 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. It honours the two hundredth birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale. To observe this occasion, this evening nurses attended a church service and participated in a walk-a-thon. The walk started from the K.H.M.H. on to the Central American Boulevard, Cemetery Road, Orange Street and culminated at the Battlefield Park in downtown Belize City. Here’s more from K.H.M.H. Nurse Kereen Birch.
Kereen Birch
Kereen Birch, Nurse, K.H.M.H.
“The importance of this year is that this year marks two hundred years since Florence Nightingale decided that she was going to start nursing.”
Reporter
“How are you guys honoring the profession here in Belize?”
Kereen Birch
“Well, what we are doing is that we are doing several events through-out the year to make our presence known as nurses and remind people that nurses are here and we are here to stay. So, while doing this we may just be able to encourage someone to say that this looks interesting that they may want to join.”
Reporter
“Share with us the day to day struggles that you guys as frontline medical personnel face?”
Kereen Birch
“Well, we face the same challenges nurses all over the world face, the biggest being shortage. We have to work with less staff than we normally should have; equipment; supplies – the same problems that everyone has. Then we also have the human factor because we are dealing with individuals that are ill; we are dealing with their family members that might be upset for whatever reason. Everyone, when their relative or they are sick, believe they are the sickest person even though they might be the least sick of all the ones that we are seeing, so it is a balance between learning how to deal with the personalities, remembering what to while maintaining your professionalism.”
