Nurses, midwives pledge better services

MUHANGA – The National Council of Nurses and Midwives (NCMC) has vowed to improve their performance in serving the public. They made the commitment during a retreat in Muhanga District recently. The retreat was attended by board and committee members aimed at reviewing council activities, strategic planning and addressing urgent issues such as human resources recruitment, registration and training among others. Agnes Uwayezu, the chairperson of NCNM, said the council is set to streamline the profession, focus on training and capacity building, and improving the image of the nursing and midwifery profession. “The council is committed to improving profession of nurses and midwives so that they can better serve the public, ensure professionalism and ethical behaviour, while setting standards of practice,” Uwayezu said. She added that some of the initial objectives of the council had been achieved since its establishment. The council’s three-year target will focus on registration of all professional practitioners, education, improve discipline and skills development. “Over 9,000 nurses and midwifes have been registered countrywide. Only 67 members have so far been fully registered and certified by NCNM and this process is set to be completed by end of April this year,” Uwayezu stated. One of the nurses, Claudette Mukunzenkase, advised fellow medics to uphold professional ethics. “This is a very sensitive profession, and it is up to us to make it better by focusing on professional services and following medical ethics, so as to win the public’s trust,” said Mukunzenkase. The council was set up by an act of Parliament, No.25/2008 of 25/07/ 2008, and officially launched by the Ministry of Health in 2009 to regulate the nursing and midwifery profession. Ends