In Rwanda, there is a gap of 6000 to 8000 nurses and midwives, according to officials.

This gap, Andre Gitembagara, the President of Rwanda Nurses and Midwives Union (RNMU) said can’t help the country achieve the target of universal health coverage and sustainable goals.

He said this during the celebrations of the International Day of Nurses that were held in Ntarama Sector, Bugesera District.

Each year on May 12, the world observes the International Day of Nurses. This year’s theme was ‘Invest in Nursing and respect rights to secure global health.’

During the celebrations, Gitembagara emphasised the need to address the shortage of nurses, a challenge that is also faced worldwide.

According to World Health Organisation, there is a global shortage of health workers, in particular nurses and midwives, who represent more than 50% of the current shortage in health workers.

Officials went ahead to call for more investment in the profession.

"As we celebrate the incredible contribution by nurses and midwives to the country’s health sector, there is as well the need for the government and investors to increase investment in this profession, as this is considered as a profession that not only works on human capital but also helps to improve the economy of the country,” Gitembagara said.

Eugene Nizeyimana, a nurse said when the number of nurses and midwives is low; there is a huge impact when it comes to the professionals themselves and also on the side of service delivery.

"On the side of nurses, this would mean that they are being overworked, for instance, one can work for six hours per week while the labour law states that one should work for at least five hours per week,” he said.

This could later lead to fatigue among those who are supposed to deliver good services to the patients.

Meanwhile, several reports point to issues facing the nursing profession, such as the global nursing shortage, the aging nursing workforce, the mass traumatisation of nurses, the lack of protection, the increasing workloads, and low salaries, all of which have led to many calls for investment in the nursing workforce in order to meet healthcare needs now and in the future.

Celebrating milestones

In terms of achievements, it was indicated that before the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, there were around 400 nurses and midwives in the country; however, this number has risen to more than 14,500 countrywide.

Quality has also been ensured as before, those of high school level were the only ones trained in the nursing profession. At the moment, the country is training those from the first level of university, diploma, and bachelors as well masters and PhD.

Also, before, the profession of nurses and midwives was not regulated but since 2009, a counsel for nurses and midwives that help regulate the profession was created.

The quality of care has also been improved as well, where several surveys indicate that from 2000 up to date, there has been more than 80 percent improvement in this profession.