Efforts are underway to replace foreign workers with qualified Bahraini professionals in the nursing sector, Supreme Council for Health chairman Lieutenant General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa has said.
He told our sister paper Akhbar Al Khaleej that the council is working towards achieving self-sufficiency in the nursing profession in Bahrain in the coming years.
He said this as Bahrain joins the world today in celebrating the International Nurses Day, which falls on May 12 every year. This year, the event is held under the theme “Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for Nurses Strengthens Economies.”
Head of Nursing Services in the Government Hospitals Internal Medicine Department Dr Rahma Al Basri said that there are more than 2,600 nurses at Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC). She emphasised to Akhbar Al Khaleej stability of the nursing workforce at SMC and the implementation of key solutions to meet growing service demands.
Bahrain Nursing and Midwifery Society President Dr Jamila Mukhaymar said that according to the latest statistics obtained by the association, the number of nurses registered in the public and private sectors has reached around 15,000 in recent years. She stressed that the Bahraini nurse is a vital pillar in advancing the healthcare system in the kingdom. However, she noted that the biggest challenge is not only Bahrainisation but also ensuring sustainability of the nursing workforce.
She added that after the Covid-19 pandemic, enrolment in studying nursing has increased in Bahrain. She called for the reopening of academic programmes in emergency care, kidney patient care, neonatal care, midwifery, obstetrics, cardiology, mental health, and community health.
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