In recent times – probably because of the Covid-19 pandemic – some Health Units in the Mozambique lack the basic material for health professionals to carry out their activities. This scenario has been putting the entire National Health System (NHS) in jeopardy.
The health units’ inability to provide quality services is also related to the degradation of the infrastructures (also difficult access to water, read more on: https://www.observatoriodesaude.org/en/civil-society-and-health-professionals defend-the-urgent-installation-of-water-reservoirs-for-the-better-working-of-health-units/), insufficient surgical medical equipment, and shortage of medicines, among others.
This reality has continuously challenged health professionals, forcing them to assist patients and save lives among difficulties.
Maternal and child health nurse Crilária Mazive, a professional with 13 years of experience, has been experiencing such difficulties. Throughout her career, she has been challenged to intervene in complicated deliveries, without medical-surgical conditions, but even so she has managed to save parturient women and their newborns.
The nurse tells this episode with satisfaction, because she believes that being a health professional is exactly about showing commitment to saving the lives of others, even when reality is not favorable.
“In my career, I have been through several remarkable episodes. Some happy and some sad. But what marked me most was the fact that I intervened in a complicated birth with no medical-surgical conditions, and I was able to save the mother and her newborn. I was deeply impressed by a complicated birth without medical-surgical conditions”, she explained.
In general, Crilária, in an interview with the Citizen Observatory for Health (OCS), explains that, as a health professional, she has faced several challenges, especially the shortage of material, supplements, and transportation for workers.
The nurse believes that an effective recognition for this class professionals, would constitute a way to highlight their role in the society.
“I don’t just speak for myself today. In my long professional journey, there is much that embarrasses me. In the suburb, the nurse is totally forgotten, working in deplorable conditions, lacking housing, receiving low salary, among other problems” she added.
For Crilária, these deplorable situations influence, at some point, some people to give up nursing and change courses when they have opportunity.
“We are having those situations in which a health professional is forced to serve entire community”, she complains.
“If there are material conditions available, the user will be the person who benefits the most, therefore it is is urgent to create mechanisms for humanized assistance to the user”, the nurse explains.
Meanwhile, our interviewee also recognizes that the health sector has been registering significant advances, especially because the professionals now have the possibility to carry on with their higher education, which means having more experience to treat other advanced health complications.
“Despite this great advance, we want more and better working conditions, such as infrastructure and material. We also need more opportunities for training, exchange with other countries, which will give us access to more experience in the treatment of new diseases that have been emerging”, she said.
she also wants to see an improvement in the issue of salaries for this class of professionals.
“The nurses cannot be crucified alone. They also want consideration, the consideration should be given as is given to other professionals in my area particularly: the doctors, specialists, and more. Other areas of training are considered, but not the nurse, nurses are crucified”, she stated.
she says that very few are the times that nurses are given reason, they are always the guilty ones. They are guilty for lack of material and lack of conditions.
“But there are times that it’s not because we don’t want to attend, but because there are not enough conditions. There are health centers that don’t have working conditions, there is only the infrastructure itself there, but nothing inside. It’s just that when something negative happens, the nurse is the one who gets blamed”, she added.
However, he says, when there is some benefit, they don’t remember that someone gave his life to be able to save, to cure a certain individual.
To conclude, she said that she would like to see a full recognition of nurses, because she would also like to enjoy the perks possessed by other professionals.
Crilária Mazive, to follow the health area, was influenced by her maternal grandmother who was a service assistant and appreciated the way nurses, in those days, treated their patients, with love and care. For her, this gesture should continue.