The morning in Holguin dawned with a leaden sky. The kind that seems to invite pause, but in the hospital corridors and the quiet of neighborhood clinics, pause is a luxury no one knows. There, where the smell of antiseptic mingles with human warmth, International Nurses Day is celebrated today.
While the International Council of Nurses launches its theme for 2026. Focused on sustainability and protecting staff, in this part of eastern Cuba the concept of “caring for those who care for us”. It takes on a nuance of resilience and absolute dedication.
It’s not just about administering medication at the exact time or checking a vital sign. It’s about that hand placed on the patient’s shoulder when fear weighs more than the illness.
In Cuba, and specifically in the “City of Parks,” nursing is one of the mainstays of the healthcare system.
It is the nurse at the clinic who knows the name of every child in the neighborhood. Also who knows who suffers from high blood pressure and who needs a word of encouragement after a difficult night. She is, in essence, the first line of compassion.
Florence Nightingale, the “Lady with the Lamp,” said that nursing is an art that requires a devotion as exclusive as that of a painter or sculptor.
If she were to walk through the wards of the Vladimir Ilich Lenin General University Hospital. Or the Lucía Íñiguez Clinical-Surgical Hospital in Holguin today, she would see that art multiplied. She would see it in the weariness concealed behind a face mask. And in the skill of finding a difficult vein under the dim light of a night shift.
Celebrating this day cannot be limited to the mere formality of the commemoration. This year’s global theme urges us to look inward: to ensure that these men and women. Also who make up 50% of the global healthcare workforce. They have the necessary support to continue being the heart of hospitals.
Because for the healthcare system to be sustainable, as the international organization calls for, we must first sustain the spirit of those who run it.
At the end of the day, when the sun finally breaks through the May clouds. Thousands of Holguin residents will have regained their breath or their hope. Thanks to a white uniform and a cap adorning their hair. Because in nursing, technique is fundamental, but it is humanity that truly heals.
By: Leannis Berbén Leyva
- Comprehensive Childcare Prioritized in Holguin - 12 de May de 2026
- Nursing, the art of healing beyond medicine - 12 de May de 2026
- Sheinbaum Announces New Shipment of Humanitarian Aid to Cuba - 11 de May de 2026