According to the President of the Liberia Nurses Association, Mrs. Olive Hunter Dwana, the selection of this year's celebration in Ganta is geared towards decentralizing the activities of the nurses association in Liberia.

On the other hand, Mrs. Dwana said the theme of this year's celebration is "Delivering Quality; Serving Communities; Nurses Leading Primary Health Care".

The keynote speaker will be the Nursing Administrator of Ganta Hospital, Mr. V. Doolakeh Taryo.

As nurses in Liberia join their colleagues around the world in observance of the International Nurses Day, we would also like to join in congratulating them for the tireless work they have done over the years in helping to save lives by caring for the sick and applying preventive measures against the spread of diseases and illnesses.

The nursing profession is indeed indispensable and the sacrifices that nurses undergo in attending to patients are also indeed a unique human attribute.

When medical doctors end their day's work, it is the nurses that are called upon to stay at odd hours to ensure that patients are responsive to medication.

The effect of a professional nurse is usually felt when a patient's hope of survival is restored due to the caring and cheerfulness of the nurse, thereby bringing back smiles on the face of a dying soul.

But in the midst of these unique good qualities of a nurse, there are challenges threatening the nursing profession in Liberia.

The issues of unattractive and incommensurate incentives and salaries are contributing to brain drain in many professions including the nursing profession.

Like in most developing countries, nurses in Liberia today would seize upon an opportunity to go abroad in search of a better paying job than remaining at home where incentives are scarce and wages hardly sustainable, thereby depriving the country of adequate and qualified health care providers.

Another challenge is the not-conducive working environment in which nurses have to work under erratic electric power supplies along with shortages of implements and equipment.

If nurses are to be maintained, their welfare and working environment must be improved.

Meanwhile, we urge nurses not to allow the commercial trend of the world undermine their sacrifices in ensuring that patients are attended to more on moral and humanitarian grounds than on any other considerations.

By overcoming these challenges, we are certain that International Nurses Day would be given more meaning.