Story by Mhlomuli Ncube
A total of 110 nurses have graduated from the Hwange Colliery Hospital School of Nursing marking the institution’s first graduation ceremony since 2018 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was a bittersweet moment for the graduates as they chronicled stories of how they underwent training during a very challenging COVID-19 pandemic period.
“This taught me that nursing is a very tough profession when I really had to be strong, I had to summon all my strength during training, and my character was tested many times but am thankful for the full support the institution gave me during my training, it was a tough period,” said one graduand.
Despite the ravaging effects of the pandemic, which led to the temporary closure of many institutions, training of health personnel continued in the country.
“The three-year general nursing programme continued despite the Covid-19 pandemic which was a threat to our healthcare system. Most institutions of higher learning stopped their programmes but not nurse training schools. We were expected to brace for transformation and produce more nurses,” said the institution’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Nairos Deredzai.
The ceremony was Running under the theme “Shaping our Future Healthcare in a Transforming World through Quality Human Development.
