Capacity within the health sector has been given a major boost with 88 registered nurses graduating on Thursday, though a health official says Samoa still needs more nurses and midwives.

The graduation ceremony was held at the Tuutuuileloloto hall and was attended by the Minister for Health Valasi Tafito Selesele, the graduating nurses and their families and friends.

The Ministry of Health’s Assistant C.E.O. for Nursing and Midwifery, Momoti Ulisese Tapuvae, said seven nurses graduated with a diploma while 70 graduated with a bachelor's degree. 

Another 11 graduated with a postgraduate diploma in midwifery and had met the requirements for them to be registered under the Ministry’s nursing and midwifery registration as registered nurses.

"And all of these nurses will be allocated to the areas with demand and also they will replace a number of nurses who have left the job because of other opportunities overseas and also with the theological college and other areas of nursing like the National University of Samoa and other private sectors," said Momoti.

According to the A.C.E.O. the additional 88 nursing graduates is a welcome relief for the M.O.H. as they are currently experiencing a shortage, brought on by the rising demand of the COVID-19 pandemic and other priorities. 

"We are still in need of more nurses and midwives," he added.

Momoti then appealed to members of the public to consider taking up nursing as a profession, saying the Ministry has been doing a lot of marketing in a bid to attract more students. 

"And not only students that are completing their secondary education at the National University of Samoa (N.U.S.) but also school leavers who are willing to come back and study. 

“As mature students, they are very welcome to come and study nursing.

"I would like to thank all the parents and the families, friends, who are always in support of our new nurses, especially this year.

"Our new nurses have been the frontliners for COVID-19 activities, not only with the vaccination programmes, the repatriation flights but also with the quarantine sites."

Nurses are currently playing a pivotal role in the Ministry’s COVID-19 pandemic prevention and mitigation strategy, said Momoti. 

"I would also like to congratulate all of the graduates of today and God bless them all," he said.

A nurse who graduated with a degree, 24-year-old Waikiti Ieremia of Vaitele uta, thanked God for enabling him to cross the line in his budding nursing career.

"I thank the Lord for his love and kindness," he said, while acknowledging the support of his parents during his student days.