Health Minister Venko Filipche met Wednesday with the nurses in the Skopje-based Infectious Diseases Clinic on the International Nurses and Midwives Day, celebrated every year on May 12 globally.
During the meeting, Filipche thanked the nurses for their contribution and tireless efforts during the times of COVID-19 pandemic, the Health Ministry said in a press release.
“Nurses are playing a key role in this pandemic and all of this has highlighted the importance of the work you do every day. You are promoting and protecting health, and with your work and you are saving countless lives every day,” Filipche added.
Nurses are playing a crucial role in the health system during the fight against the pandemic. In the past period, as never before, the working conditions of the nurses and the entire healthcare staff have been improved, the Health Ministry said.
As of 2018, the nurses’ salaries have been increased several times.
“In May 2018, the amount of night shift allowance was increased from 29% to 50%; In February 2019, salary increase included 5% rise for nurses with higher and secondary medical education and 8% pay rise for nurses in the general hospital “8 September”, PET/CT diagnostic center and the University Clinic for Surgical Diseases “Sveti Naum Ohridski” and in January 2020, nurses with higher and secondary medical education received a 10% pay rise,” reads the press release.
