MUMN celebrates 30 years of commitment towards supporting nurses, midwives and healthcare professionals
A museum dedicated to healthcare professionals opens during the occasion
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Ian Borg attended a celebration marking the 30th anniversary of the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN), during which a museum dedicated to healthcare professionals was inaugurated at the MUMN premises in Qormi. As part of the evening’s programme, the museum was also blessed by Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna.
A publication documenting MUMN’s 30 years of work was also launched during the event, while plans for a new monument recognising the contribution of nurses and midwives were unveiled.
“MUMN is an important trade union, and it was a pleasure to celebrate this milestone while appreciating its members’ dedication to their professions through meaningful initiatives such as these. As a government, we will continue to invest in our human resources to ensure the best possible conditions for our professionals, enabling them to continue delivering the highest standard of care to patients,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.
He stressed that investments, reforms and infrastructure projects across the healthcare sector can only achieve their intended results if the necessary professionals are available to bring them to life and deliver the services. Healthcare professionals will therefore remain central to the way forward. He also recalled the recent signing of two collective agreements with MUMN, which will improve the conditions and opportunities of around 180 employees.
Parliamentary Secretary responsible for Active Ageing Deo Debattista recognised the invaluable contribution that nurses and midwives make every day to everyone requiring healthcare services. He also encouraged young people to take the step of joining this group of professionals.
“For many years, nurses and midwives have dedicated themselves to serving others and remain among the main pillars of our healthcare system. Their dedication is evident whenever they go beyond what is expected of them to provide patients and their families with the best possible care and support. This is the true meaning of a vocation: being there for a person when they are at their most vulnerable,” said Dr Debattista.
MUMN President Paul Pace reflected on the union’s journey and explained that, after operating from various buildings over the years, its current premises have provided suitable space for numerous initiatives, including meetings, training and educational opportunities. However, one further dream connected to these premises had remained- that of opening a dedicated museum. “Today, that dream has become a reality with the opening of a museum dedicated to Healthcare Professionals. Our country was known as ‘The Nurse of the Mediterranean’, yet the profession’s history dates back as far as the era of the Knights. Technological advances have been so rapid that, until just a few years ago, we were still using some of the objects now on display in our work. We firmly believe that, to understand the present, one must understand history and where we started,” said Mr Pace.
He also thanked the Ministry for Health for its cooperation and support in establishing the museum and in the ongoing work for professionals represented by MUMN, whose membership now exceeds 5,500.
Photos: ODPM-MHA
