A tribute to all nurses who save lives every day

The medical technology company Getinge today celebrates International Nurses Day by paying special attention to nurses during the extreme COVID-19 times. In a newly started partnership with WaterAid, the aim is for nurses around the world to have access to clean and running water.

WaterAid_ James Kiyimba Photo: WaterAid/James Kiyimba 

"Today, on International Nurses Day, we want to send an extra tribute to all the amazing nurses around the world who work day and night to treat patients who suffer from COVID-19 or other diseases," says Magnus Lundbäck, Executive Vice President Human Resources & Sustainability at Getinge.

Nearly every second health care facility in the world's low-income countries lack access to clean and running water today. As a result, hundreds of thousands of doctors and nurses cannot adequately wash their hands and run the risk of both infecting patients and becoming infected themselves while treating patients with illnesses such as COVID-19.

“We want to change this. Our products and solutions help ensure that health care professionals have the right conditions to be able to perform their work safely. This is also why we collaborate with WaterAid to ensure that communities and hospitals have access to clean water and the possibility to good hygiene,” explains Magnus Lundbäck.

One of WaterAid's successful projects is at Kakora Health Center in Tanzania, where nurse Grace works, today with running water. This is what Grace herself says about the change that has been made:

“As a nurse, it is crucial that I wash my hands with soap before and after I treat the patients. In the past, it was very difficult because we did not have running water. But now there are no difficulties at all - we just turn on the tap and then the water comes. "

“We want to pay a tribute to nurses and all other health care professionals every day, not just on this special day. But above all, we must ensure that they have good working conditions. And the most essential is pure water and the possibility to good hygiene,” says Magnus Lundbäck.

Learn more about what Getinge and WaterAid does to fight the COVID-19 virus.