Health officials pay tribute to nurses on International Nurses Day

Shanghai health authorities expressed their gratitude to nursing staff on Thursday, which marked International Nurses Day, for their sacrifices, perseverance and dedication shown at the forefront of the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Zhao Dandan, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, the number of nurses in the city currently stands at 108,700, up by 24,700 from 2017.

Among them, 39.17 percent are under 30 years old and around 2.8 percent are males.

"Our local nurses and those from other parts of China dispatched to Shanghai have shown their professionalism and unconquerable spirit in the current outbreak. All of them have been highly dedicated to conducting nucleic acid testing, community management, patient treatment, and daily medical services," Zhao said.

"They have provided patients with warm services through their expertise. Cooperating with other medical workers, they take care of critically ill patients, the elderly, newborns, and the pregnant," Zhao said.

"The persistence and courage of medical workers shown in this challenging time is valuable and we salute their contributions and altruistic spirit," he added.