Nurses For Vaccines???

The proposal of Department of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello to allow registered nurses from the Philippines to work abroad in exchange for vaccine which our country needs has drawn negative reactions not only from various nursing associations but from the general public as well. They rightfully observed that nurses are not commodities who could be traded off with mere vaccines no matter how our country desperately need them. Foreign countries like the United States, Europe and the Asia Pacific view our nurses with high regard and respect in their professionalism, dedication to duty and unrelenting service even beyond the call of duty. No wonder why they are highly paid and their remittances to their families in the country has served to boost our economy. Even here at home nurses serving our hospitals, rural health units and other medical facilities serve with dedication despite their meager compensation. The call of these nursing associations for Secretary Bello to apologize is therefore not only called for but also the right thing to do if only to assuage the wounded feeling of our nurses. It our hope that Secretary Bello could show his humility by his apology.

Even at the outset of this pandemic until the present, the allowances of nurses have not been given attention, some of them working in small hospitals receive very meager salaries, and yet they continue to serve and be on the front line in this risky endeavor to save the lives of Covid 19 victims , and prevent the spread of this dreaded virus. Furthermore. the deployment of medical workers including nurses has been restricted and deployment abroad has been limited to a few thousands. It is about time that we should seriously consider how best we can draw the balance between keeping them in the country to serve and giving the just compensation that they deserve. But more important than this is treating them with respect and decency as professionals. They deal with the lives of people not in economic sense, but they contribute much more than people can see. Even the best medical practitioners would agree that without the skilled participation of nurses in the care of patients, their regimen of care is bound to fail. To all the nurses out there, we salute you and we thank you for what you are doing!

TRIVIA:

Greetings and congratulations to our sister Pat Nale who celebrated her 91st birthday today. Sister Pat Nale is widow of our brother Pete Nale who during his lifetime was an active member of the Knights of Columbus, Council 7995 based at our Virgin of Penafrancia Parish.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

“MAN IS UNJUST, BUT GOD IS JUST AND FINALLY TRIUMPHS.”

LONGFELLOW

FOR OUR WORD OF LIFE:

“HAVE MERCY ON ME, GOD, IN YOUR GOODNESS, IN YOUR ABUNDANT COMPASSION BLOT OUT MY OFFENSE.”

PSALM 51;1