‘Our purpose is to heal’

Nurses everywhere - at clinics, in hospital wards and in units - literally work until they drop, and in some regions, they do so while dealing with a dire lack of essential items.

But a group of retired nurses from the Omusati Region will not relent on what they deem their calling. Nicknamed the ‘62s’ by the young staff members at the Roman Catholic Hospital in Oshikuku, these nurses believe nursing is a healing profession.

“To nurse is to heal. Sometimes not just the physical body, but spiritual as well. When we look at our patients, it’s a holistic approach. This is why it is important for nurses to put themselves in the patient’s shoes when engaging with them,” Angelina Popyeninawa Ashilelo-Emvula said fondly.

She was speaking to Ewi IyaNooli on the sidelines of a nurse and healthcare worker reunion on Saturday, 9 July.

At the event, the nurses were chatty; exchanging hugs; excited to see each other after so many years.

They shared experiences of how they provided healthcare during Namibia’s liberation struggle - offering medical care to the wounded. They observed a moment of silence for their departed colleagues “whose blood now waters our freedom”.

They also spoke about life after retirement and the role they can still play to assist current healthcare workers.

“In the past, we had a good bond and we worked together like brothers and sisters. And we would like to encourage the young nurses to do the same. To remain united with any worker in the hospital, regardless if it’s a cleaner or whoever. “United for the benefit of patients. Because we are here to serve. Nothing else,” she said.

Teamwork

Ashilelo-Emvula joined the Oshikuku hospital in 1987 as an assistant nurse. In 2005/06, she decided to pursue her studies. She resigned from work and enrolled at the University of Namibia.

In 2013, she graduated with a bachelor of nursing science degree, and the following year, she returned to Oshikuku as a registered nurse.

“When we started, the registered nurses were less than five. But what mattered was teamwork and learning from each other. Now, the numbers have grown, but the goal remains the same - to deliver quality healthcare,” she said.

The veteran nurse highlighted that in Namibia, like in other parts of the world, nurses are grappling with shortages of much‐needed medical supplies. The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the situation, she said.

“I believe every nurse was drawn to nursing because of a desire to care, to serve or to help. Let's continue serving and healing our communities. To work accordingly. Not to look for ethnicity but to assist each client equally,” Ashilelo-Emvula said.

‘Therapeutic event’

Oshikuku constituency councillor Matheus Gabriel - who also graced the occasion - applauded the healthcare workers for organising what he termed a “therapeutic event”.

He said sometimes one needs to leave their daily duties and share moments with other people to escape their own thoughts.

“This is good for them. To meet and greet. This is also part of the process to help heal people, not just physically but emotionally as well,” he said.

Gabriel added that young and upcoming healthcare workers can emulate the good examples from some of those who went on retirement in the 80s and 90s.

As the day progressed, the healthcare workers recalled the difficulties they went through during the liberation struggle and how they navigated some of those challenges.

While not downplaying the pandemic, they told the new nurses that things could get worse. “Just buckle up and do your best,” they said.

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