Nurses and doctors should inquire from their conscience if they work in line with the Nightingale Pledge and the Hippocratic Oath on this day of International Nurses' Day, Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne on Wednesday said.
He was addressing the gathering at the celebration of the International Nurses Day-2018 at Temple Trees, organised by the Government Nursing Officers' Association.
President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe participated as Chief Guests.
If the nurses act in accordance with the Nightingale Pledge, it will be a great service to the health sector and country, the Minister said.
The Minister said nurses should not take into account race, religion, language, colour, creed or the caste of patients.
He appreciated Government Nursing Officers' Association President Saman Ratnapriya for disregarding the differences.
The Minister said the nurses enjoy the salary increments granted to the public servants.
He said Rs. 10,000 was increased for public servants and it amounted to Rs. 120,000 annually.
"The Cost of Living Allowance and other allowances had also increased," the Minister said. A 19-storey Nurses' Faculty is being constructed now, while a 16-storey hostel is constructed in Mulleriyawa. Four nursing schools will be constructed in Kandy, Anuradhapura, Kalutara and Galle.
The Public Health Nursing Service has recommenced and 100 were already recruited and another 100 will be recruited in June," he said. He said a Cabinet paper was submitted to increase salaries of graduate nurses and measures would be taken to increase the number of male nurses.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Government Nursing Officers' Association President Saman Ratnapriya spoke.