Nurses and midwives from across Northern Uganda have called for stronger professional empowerment, better working conditions, and increased staffing as they celebrated International Nurses and Midwives Day at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Kitgum.
The celebrations brought together health workers, tutors, district health officials, and union leaders from facilities across the Acholi sub-region under the theme: “Our Nurses, Our Future: Empowered Nurses Save Lives.”
Speaking during the event on Saturday, Rev. Sr. Flora Vicky Ogena, a principal Nursing officer at St Joseph’s Hospital, where the event was held, described nurses as the backbone of the healthcare system and urged authorities to ensure they are adequately supported.
“Every day they are in the wards, clinics, departments, and communities rendering services to save lives. Empowerment of nurses goes beyond words. It means continuous professional development, adequate staffing, fair workload, and availability of essential equipment and supplies, ” Sr Ogena said.
She added that empowered nurses improve patient outcomes and strengthen the healthcare system.
“It means continuous professional development and training. Adequate staffing and fair workload. Availability of essential equipment and supplies. Emotional and psychological support. Recognition and respect for the work of nurses. When nurses are empowered, patient outcomes improve,” she said.
Margaret Aryemo, the Assistant DHO in charge of maternal health in Kitgum district, challenged nurses and midwives to take personal responsibility for improving their profession, saying empowerment begins with discipline, knowledge, and commitment to patients.
“It’s very disturbing when a client or a patient needs help, and you have turned your back, and you are on your phone. You are not bothered. If you are such a nurse, then I think that is not a place for you,” Aryemo said.
She also urged health workers to embrace research and documentation instead of spending excessive time on social media platforms.
“We see new things every day, but we fear documenting them. We fear to read, to put things together and shine…let us read instead of every time in WhatsApp or TikTok, watching things that other people have done,” she added.
The Medical Director of St. Joseph’s Hospital, Kitgum, Dr. Pamela Atim, said nurses contribute nearly 75 percent of healthcare service delivery and remain central to the functioning of hospitals and health centers.
“Without nurses and midwives, health systems cannot run. We can be doctors at the highest level, but without nurses, we cannot cope,” Dr. Atim said.
She encouraged nurses to pursue continuous professional development and mentorship for younger health workers while calling on training institutions to ensure only committed learners join the profession. Atim said some negative public perceptions about nurses are caused by a small number of poorly trained or uncommitted health workers.
Meanwhile, Ambrose Ocen, the Vice President of the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union, revealed that the country still faces a major shortage of nurses and midwives. Ocen said Uganda requires at least 24,000 more nurses and 13,000 more midwives to bridge staffing gaps in health facilities.
According to Ocen, many nurses are overwhelmed due to heavy workloads, exposing them to mistakes and legal challenges.
“According to WHO, one nurse is supposed to serve about 25 patients, but currently some nurses handle more than 100 patients,” he said.
He also disclosed that the union handled more than 50 legal cases involving nurses and midwives across the country last year, many linked to understaffing and health workers performing duties outside their job descriptions.
Isaac Wonyima Okello, the Assistant DHO of Nwoya, who was the chief guest at the event, also urged nurses and midwives to invest in self-empowerment, professionalism, and continuous education to improve healthcare delivery amid a growing shortage of health workers in the country.
Okello also emphasized humility, compassion, and dedication in patient care, saying nurses and midwives play a critical role in preserving lives.
“In the quiet moments when mothers cry in labour wards, and patients suffer in hospitals, nurses and midwives are there ensuring destinies are not destroyed,” he said.
Okello acknowledged the challenges faced by health workers, including long working hours, back pain from lifting patients, emotional stress, and strained family relationships due to demanding schedules. Despite the challenges, he encouraged nurses and midwives to remain committed to service delivery and maintain faith in their profession.
The celebrations, initially scheduled for May 12, were postponed due to the presidential swearing-in activities.
