President of the Nurses Association of Jamaica, (NAJ) Patsy Edwards Henry says the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the weaknesses caused by inadequate investments in nurses.

Speaking at the start of national nurses week yesterday (July 17), Mrs. Edwards Henry noted that this lack of investment has been realized on a global scale.

She lamented that nurses while being exposed the most to health conditions such as Covid-19, continue to be underpaid and undervalued.

In quoting head of the International Council of Nurses, Pamela Cipriano, Mrs. Edwards Henry said if governments continue to postpone investing in nurses it will be to the detriment of the entire health sector.

In highlighting what she described as the undervaluing of nurses, Mrs. Edwards-Henry called on all employers of nurses to invest in the sector.

She said it is sad that it took a pandemic for persons to realize the worth of nurses.

Nurses week run from July 17 to 22, is being celebrated under the theme “Invest in nurses and respect rights to secure global health”.