President Tommy Remengesau, Jr. had declared May 6 to 12 as Palau’s National Nurses Week.
Presidential Proclamation No. 18-234 which was signed by Remengesau on May 3 states that the nursing workforce in Palau comprises the country’s largest group of healthcare professionals.
This year’s nurses’ week is anchored on the theme, Nurses: Inspire, Innovate, and Influence.
“The Ministry of Health’s Bureau of Nursing with Palau Nurses Association and the rest of the Ministry of Health Family are working together to chart a new course for a more proactive nation by not only providing the services where it used to be but at every opportunity-bringing access and delivery of primary and preventive health care to the community,” the proclamation reads.
“A renewed emphasis on primary and preventive health care will require better utilizations of all our nations nursing workforce, as well as additional experienced nurses to ensure current coverage and the efforts to increase accessibility will not be compromised,” it added.
According to the proclamation, the demand for nurses and nursing services will become greater with the “aging population, the continuing expansion of life-sustaining technologies, growth of home health care services, as well as more preventive focused efforts such as the school based programs and other community level settings.”
Remengesau, through the proclamation, also urged the Palauan community to join in honoring the nurses and celebrate their accomplishments and efforts in helping improve the health care system in the country. (Rhealyn C. Pojas/Reporter)