CALGARY, Alberta, June 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Members of the media are invited to attend a presentation tomorrow morning, spotlighting the dangers to Canadian nurses as they provide care in conflict zones.
“Over the past 20 months alone, attacks on medical facilities have occurred in Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria and South Sudan in violation of international law,” notes Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions President Linda Silas. “Our Biennial Convention will feature those who have experienced nursing in a conflict zone and will reiterate CFNU’s call for the Canadian government to ensure that humanitarian workers have the right to provide care for people in need.”
The session will feature remarks from Capt. Stephanie Smith, RN, MA, of the Canadian Armed Forces, and Leonard Rubenstein of the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The session will be held from 8:30 to 9:45 am on Tuesday June 6 at the TELUS Convention Centre in Calgary. CFNU President Linda Silas is available for interviews.
On United Nations Day 2016, Silas urged Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to denounce the bombings of medical facilities, and called on the Canadian government to reaffirm its commitment to uphold UN Resolution 2286 condemning the attacks on medical personnel in conflict situations and demanding an end to impunity for those responsible, and respect for international law on the part of warring parties.
The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) is Canada’s largest nurses’ organization representing nearly 200,000 nurses and student nurses. The CFNU has been advocating for national discussions on key health priorities, such as a national prescription drug plan, a comprehensive approach to long-term and continuing care, greater attention to health human resources, and federal government engagement on the future of public health care.
For more information, please contact:
Emily Doer, Communications Officer, Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, (613) 807-1340
David Cournoyer, Communications Advisor, United Nurses of Alberta, (780) 913-1563
David Climenhaga, Communications Advisor, United Nurses of Alberta, (780) 717-2943