On May 12, the International Nurses Day, the Handbooks with Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for nursing were presented in Brcko, in the House of Culture. The event was organized with the support of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Republika Srpska, Federal Ministry of Health, Department of Health and other services of the Brcko District Government and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Following the presentation of the Handbooks, a live drill of victim rescue jointly organized by the Department of Health and Other Services of the Government of the Brcko District of BiH, the Department of Public Safety of the Government of the Brcko District of BiH, PHCC Brcko, the Red Cross of the Brcko District and the Nurse Association “Medicinar “ was demonstrated to the public. Besides that, a blood sugar and blood pressure checkup and counseling for citizens was provided on the Youth Square in town.

The celebration of this important day was also an opportunity to hand over the Handbooks with Standard Operating Procedures
(SOP) for nursing to health institutions in the Republika Srpska, the Federation of BiH and the Brčko District, as well as to present other project contributions to strengthening of nursing profession and nurses’ capacities in order to facilitate better service provision to the population, simply because "there is no health without a health workforce". The handbooks developed as a part of the ProSes project will surve to improve the safety and quality of services provided by nurses. They were developed by nurses and will be used in their daily practice. So far, five handbooks with 290 procedures for primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare levels have been developed. In addition to hard copies, the handbooks are now available in an e-form adapted for use on Android devices.

About the International Day of Nurses (May 12th)

“Over the last 10 years the Swiss Government has provided significant support for building up the nursing system in BiH. Why did we do that? Because we are convinced that an investment in the nursing reform is an investment in the country's development. It is an investment in improving the quality of health care provided in the country, in particular for disadvantaged people. The results achieved so far are promising. Today, more than one million people gained access to expanded community nursing services, more than 140’000 vulnerable people received services and more than 28’000 people were reached with NCD prevention. However, a lot remains to be done in the reform in order to transform the health systems, build a resilient and highly qualified nursing workforce and protect nurses’ rights”, said Laurent Ruedin, Head of Health Portfolio and Regional Adviser on Social Inclusion at the Swiss Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"Being aware of the importance and role of nurses in the health system of the Republika Srpska, I am pleased to note that in our country, as well as in the world, nursing is perceived and recognized as an important and inseparable part of the health system in its specific scope of work. Strengthening nursing also implies participation of nurses in health policies creation, practice standardization and continuous education and professional advancement. Therefore we have jointly recognized what the nurses in our health facilities need and tackled it through numerous activities within the Strengthening Nursing in Bosnia and Herzegovina project, which significantly improved health services for our patients. We are grateful to the Swiss Government for supporting this project" said the Minister of Health and Social Welfare of the Republika Srpska, Alen Seranic, MD and congratulated to all the nurses their international holiday.

Assistant Federal Minister of Health, Goran Cerkez, MD on the occasion of the International Nurses Day stated:

"Nurses are one of the main pillars of the health system. Their importance was especially recognized during the COVID-19 pandemic, when their competencies and dedication significantly contributed to dealing with the consequences of a major health crisis, demonstrating their humanity and dedication, as well as selfless efforts for the benefit of patients. However, nurses need to make a stronger effort to establish a federal chamber, in order to better promote their profession and achieve better cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Health"..