By: Matshidiso Selebeleng

‘Our nurses, our future. Empowered Nurses Save lives’, this is the theme for this years international nurses day celebrated across the country today.

MEC for Health in the Free State Monyatso Mahlatsi describes nurses as the backbone of healthcare, saying that they are present at every stage of life, delivering care with skills compassion and resilience often under immense pressure.

“To our nurses , the quiet humble warriors in white, today we celebrate not only what you do, but who you are.

“You are the light that shines and enters the room before medicine does, the gentle touch that gives strength to the weak, and the courage that stands firm when fear surrounds our people.

“In every heartbeat you protect, in every tear you wipe away, and in every life you help restore, you remind us that healing is both a science and an act of love,” he said.

He says he honours their resilience, sacrifice, and unwavering spirit, even on the hardest days, because they continue to rise before dawn to carry the hopes of a nation on their shoulders.

“May you never forget that your compassion changes lives, your service gives dignity to humanity, and your calling is one of the noblest gifts to society.

“Today, we do not merely thank you we salute the greatness within you,” said Mahlatsi