Dear nurses,

As every May 12, we celebrate today International Nursing Day, in commemoration of Florence Nightingale´s birth, founder of this profession, a woman of health and renewing conceptions, which marked a starting point for development in health systems in the world.

Coinciding with the 200th anniversary of her birth, since the beginning of this year, the World Health Organization dedicated its efforts and recognitions to nursing staff, whose participation has been significant in the provision of health services.

In Cuba, there are already more than 84 thousand professionals who work in this branch of Medical Sciences, who are distributed in all health institutions and levels of care, with priority at the primary level; of them 61 thousand 277 are university graduates.

Our nursing professionals have showed their altruism, dedication and professionalism in each of the tasks the Revolution has entrusted them. The Cuban nurses continue to write glorious pages in the history of public health, this time, being examples of consecration in Cuba’s battle with COVID-19. This has been demonstrated by nurses providing their services to our population, those who have left to different areas of our country to support the care of patients with this disease.

Equally valuable has been the contribution of those in other latitudes fulfilling the Marti concept that “Homeland is Humanity”. They have been joined by those members of brigades of the Henry Reeve International Contingent, who departed to brother peoples to fight also COVID-19. We want to emphasize that one of these brigades was made up entirely of nurses, coinciding with the merit of being the first brigade composed only of women.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Ministry of Public Health, I send you our sincere congratulations and the greatest of recognitions. You can be sure that you have our full confidence in the work you do. The satisfaction of saved lives and attended patients is the greatest gift you can receive today. Let us continue to work together that we will emerge victorious from this and all the battles that are to come.

Best regards

 

Dr. José Angel Portal Miranda

Minister of Public Health

Republic of Cuba

 

Taken from the Ministry of Public Health’s website