May 12 marks International Nurses Day, and on this occasion, the Lebanese people remembered Lebanon's nurses. In this context, Dr. Rima Sassine Qazan, the Head of the Nurses Association in Lebanon, stated in an interview with "Nokta Aalsatr" on Voice of Lebanon that 2500 qualified and specialized nurses have migrated abroad, in addition to internal migration. She added, "We are working on a study to raise the minimum wage in line with the ongoing inflation, and we also seek to increase the price per bed and allocate a part of this amount to this sector."
She emphasized that the nursing profession should not be underestimated, as it constitutes a considerable percentage within hospitals that cannot continue without them. She noted, "Some hospitals give nurses a percentage of their salaries in fresh dollars."
For his part, Engineer Sulaiman Haroun, President of the Private Hospitals Owners Association, noted via Voice of Lebanon, "We are experiencing an unprecedented crisis; we have a shortage of nurses in emergency departments and cannot open intensive care units for this reason as well. The state must have a strategy to limit their migration."
MP Assem Araji, the head of the Parliamentary Health Committee, tweeted: "Nursing is one of the noblest professions. Caring for a patient's health is not easy. The world has gone through the COVID-19 pandemic, and the nursing body, alongside the medical community, faced it despite the severe health risk it posed due to infections. Many of them died while performing their duty, and they deserve fairness and recognition of their earned rights."
Similarly, MP Nazih Najm tweeted, "Nursing is one of the noblest professions. Looking after a patient’s health is not an easy task. The world faced the COVID-19 pandemic, and the nursing community tackled it alongside the medical community despite the severe health threats of infection, leading to many casualties among them while carrying out their duties. It is necessary to ensure their rights and grants."
Dr. Ismail Sakri, President of the National Health Authority, commended the nursing body on the occasion of International Nurses Day, stating, "We congratulate nurses for their dedicated role, despite the injustices they face regarding rights and low wages, which have caused 2500 nurses to migrate out of a total of ten thousand employees, representing a significant percentage, especially since they are of high quality."
He concluded, "The nursing profession represents the basic structure of healthcare, serving as the compassionate connection between medicine and the patient. Therefore, it requires greater care, appreciation, and enhancement of its rights." He ended with, "Congratulations to the nursing body on its global day, hoping we can celebrate it next year under more favorable conditions."
