Commodore Moses Beick-Baffour, Military Secretary, has called on nurses to eschew all forms of negative tendencies that may bring the nursing profession into disrepute.

He said Ghanaians acknowledge contribution of nurses in the national development but they must know that they are the backbone of the medical system.

Commodore Beick-Baffour made the call at the end of this year’s Military Nightingales’ Week celebration which was climaxed with Awards in Accra.

The week which was on the theme: “Military Nightingales, A force for Change: Caring for the Carer”, was aimed at celebrating Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing and taking time to reflect on some of her attributes.

Commodore Beick-Baffour said over the years nurses have been taught to take care of others.

He said nurses often express reluctance to take time required to care for themselves and without any form of self-investment, it is impossible to give quality care.

He said the most important resource of any organisation is the human resource and since the value of nurses cannot be estimated in any measure at all, it is high time: "We focus on the welfare of the nurses as we have earlier acknowledged.”

Commodore Beick-Baffour encouraged them to enhance their services by providing care based on scientific evidence.

Madam Hannah Acquah, a Member of the Governing Board of Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeon, commended the nurses for their immense contribution towards national development.

Nurses who had served for many years were awarded.