They feel “wrongful and deceived” by the Algarve's health authorities, but nevertheless, they said they were present and dedicated themselves 100% to the fight against Covid-19. Now that the country is “slowly returning to normality”, the Algarve nurses took advantage of the international day of these health professionals, which is celebrated today, to remind that there are commitments to be fulfilled by the official entities.
Whoever walks down Avenida Gulbenkian, in Faro, towards the Hospital Rotunda, you can see the faces of nurses from the Algarve and get to know their stories, in the street exhibition “Nurses on the Front Line, valorization of the back line – A Virtual Manifestation”, inaugurated today . In between, there are posters with reminders of the problems these health professionals face.
This was the way found by the Algarve delegation of the Portuguese Nurses Union to celebrate the day that is dedicated to this professional class, worldwide.
«Today is the ideal day to be here. It is the International Day of the Nurse, as well as the International Year of the Nurse, declared by the World Health Organization, and we decided, first of all, to pay homage to the nurses in the Algarve, who are daily with users, not only in hospitals and centers of Health, but in their homes. On the other hand, we want to make it very clear that we are not here only in the Covid-19 period», framed Nuno Manjua, SEP director, in statements to the Sul Informação.
In addition to «celebrating this profession of ours», nurses in the Algarve took advantage of the occasion to demand that institutions «honor their commitments».
«We are also here to say that there was a commitment, last year, on the part of the Regional Health Administration and the Hospital and University Center of the Algarve, in order to count all the time of service in terms of progression. This commitment was until the end of the year and was not fulfilled», illustrated the union leader.
At the beginning of the year, the nurses announced that they would go out to fight, "through strikes and demonstrations", to pressure the two institutions to assume their commitments. “Obviously, we stopped during the State of Emergency period, not only because it was prohibited, but because we had already decided in advance that we were going to do it, bearing in mind that there were other priorities. We decided to collaborate and contribute towards providing institutions with contacts of companies that were supplying disinfectant alcohol-gel and protective equipment».
“Nurses are made of a fiber of dedication and commitment, who do not give up even in particularly difficult situations. We ended up giving an example and a white glove slap to the administrations, because while they scratch their word, the nurses risk their lives», said Nuno Manjua.
After all, during the Covid-19 pandemic, health professionals “worked under special circumstances and often without the necessary safety conditions, due to the lack, sometimes, of the quantity and quality of personal protective equipment”.
Now, "at this moment when we are gradually returning to normality, the different sectors, we decided to bring it back to public opinion, that we are not forgetting the promise made to us last year, which is very important for the lives of nurses ».
"Nurses comply daily, say present when they are called and do not turn their backs and feel wronged and deceived by institutions that ask them for everything when they need them, but when the time comes to honor what they promised, they turn their backs on them" , accuses the Algarve unionist.
As for the exhibition that can be seen from today on the railing of the Hospital de Faro, “we can see the particularity of those who work in health centers and those who work in hospitals. Some elaborate a little more on what they do – how many years they have been working, in which area – but they are all unanimous in a single message, the demand that the Algarve health entities fulfill their commitments, which are not forgotten».
“All this work that we have been carrying out over the years is very meritorious and valuable. We do not accept this situation in any way. I think it is perfectly understandable, on the part of the population, that the professionals who are in the front line should not be misled”, concluded Nuno Manjua.
Photos: Hugo Rodrigues|Sul Informação
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