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Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Health Reporter
BEHIND the white uniforms and extreme smartness of nurses, lies untold stories of unimaginable personal sacrifice for the well-being of total strangers.

These stories can make a “normal” person cringe in fear and wonder why nurses do not lose their sanity.

As the world yesterday marked the International Nurses Day which is commemorated on May 12 annually, Chronicle had a chat with nurses in Bulawayo and managed to peel the veneer of professionalism to reveal the ordinary people who just go the extra mile to ensure strangers recover from all kinds of illnesses.

Bound by the nurses’ pledge to preserve life at all costs, these individuals are always at the frontline when new diseases and known pandemics break out.

The Covid-19 outbreak that has killed four people in Zimbabwe and about 290 000 globally is an example of the dangers the frontline poses for nurses.

Government has always acknowledged the importance of nurses and other health workers.

Besides ensuring they have PPEs to protect them from Covid-19 when attending to patients, Government is paying them risk allowances for the duration of the pandemic while President Mnangagwa recently announced an income tax break for healthcare workers and health care institutions for the next six months.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), nearly 1 000 nurses have been infected by Covid-19 in Africa alone.

The International Council of Nurses also approximates that over 100 nurses have died due to the virus worldwide. About 44 years after becoming a nurse, Sister Bester Chamboko is treating patients and helping women deliver at her own private practice – Maternal and Child Health Care Centre in Bulawayo.

For Sr Chamboko, the sacrifices that include sleepless nights and long hours in the service of often grumpy and unappreciative patients have all been rewarded after seeing people at the point of death recovering.

Turning to Covid-19, she says spread of the disease could have been nipped in the bud if people adhered to basics of hygiene.

“This pandemic is forcing us to adopt habits that we should have been practising all along. Social distancing and high levels of hygiene are key in wellbeing and as frontline workers we cannot overemphasise that fact,” she said.

“The profession has been rewarding. I won’t lie, but its circumstances like Covid-19 that force us to step back, reflect and see how best we can use our abilities as nurses to ensure the public remains safe from diseases and viruses.”

She adds that members of the public should support nurses who are sacrificing a lot by adhering to lifestyles that will not compromise their immune systems.

“People should eat well; drink warm water and practise hygiene to boost their immune systems. In Zimbabwe, we are privileged as we have access to organic fruits and vegetables,” she says.

The outbreak of Covid-19 has seen nurses worldwide making huge personal sacrifices, sometimes attending to patients without adequate personal protective equipment (PPEs) risking their health and that of their families.

Sister Bongani Ncube from Mpilo Central Hospital said the profession was a dream come true for him, although it comes with a lot of challenges which eventually affects delivery.

“Shortages in resources and manpower also have an adverse impact on patient care and it forces us to use what we have to make the most in helping people. We try to remain relevant even now as we battle Covid-19, but it is risky.

“I won’t mince my words, the experience is scary as we know the risks that come with the job, but we made an oath to help and that we will do even if it means death,” Sr Ncube said.

Another nurse from United Bulawayo Hospitals says the thought of quitting has been constantly on her mind as many nurses are dying the world over while trying to save lives.

She said in many countries, policy makers are careless in exposing nurses to Covid- 19 by forcing them to work without enough PPEs, medication and equipment.

“In the midst of Covid-19, I have personally considered quitting but the inner voice keeps asking who will do the duties I was trained and chose to render? l feel compelled to soldier on, not for the salary but for the sake of my society, despite all odds,” said the nurse who preferred to speak anonymously.

She adds the experience of nurses during Covid- 19 should stand as a lesson to policy makers who must be visionary and make choices that will result in an improved healthcare provision.

Sister Sibonile Ngwenya, who works at a council clinic, said nurses should be celebrated all the time as they risk personal health and time with their families, to put their hearts and souls into saving communities from diseases.

“We need a set up that is going to guarantee our mental and psychological stability so that we happily do our duties. It is a pity we are meant to mark this day in the midst of Covid-19 which has claimed lots of lives of nurses who are battling to keep millions free from infection,” said Sr Ngwenya.

Zimbabwe Nurses Association president Mr Enock Dongo said issues of renumeration, the shortage of PPEs and the economic challenges had to be addressed for nurses to be fully productive.

He said this year’s celebration is unique as it comes at a time when the world is confronted by Covid-19 pandemic with nurses at the frontline assisting the infected.

Mr Dongo said they are motivated and encouraged by words of wisdom from the pioneer of nursing Florence Nightingale that getting rid of a patient’s adversary is the first rule.

“In this case, sickness is the enemy to the patient and as nurses, we ought to help our patients overcome this adversary even as the world is fearful of Covid-19. We therefore, remain steadfast in bravery to care for our patients, no matter what ailment,” he said.

“The fact that we are identified as an essential service at the frontline in fighting Covid-19 is worthy of celebration as we aim to play our part in seeing more recoveries and bringing back normalcy to the general public. It is no doubt that Covid-19 has brought with it unprecedented challenges but it should also be noted that the situation beforehand demands endurance coupled with empathy — both of which are expected qualities of a nurse.”

Mr Dongo said they are devoted and committed in providing services where fear is inevitable.

He said as nurses in Zimbabwe, they believe that little can be done under the spirit of fear, hence, they celebrate the fearlessness attribute of each nurse during this pandemic.

“As nurses, we are constantly involved in human existence from point of conception to the time of death. We dedicate ourselves to the helpless and the miserable. Hence, we celebrate the success of nursing defined by not giving up and never giving excuses combined with the philosophical approach to ‘do patients no harm’,” he added.

In a statement yesterday, WHO said the Covid-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of the vital role nurses play.

The health body says nurses account for more than half of all the world’s health workers, yet there is an urgent shortage of nurses worldwide with 5.9 million more nurses still needed, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

“In this year of the nurse and the midwife, now more than ever, it is essential that Governments support and invest in their nurses. Covid-19 reinforces the need for investment in nursing jobs, education, leadership. As we mark this, day, we urge countries to ensure the occupational safety and health of nurses and all health workers, including notably, unhindered access to personal protective equipment so they can safely provide care and reduce infections in health care settings,” says WHO. — @thamamoe