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The Committee notes the Government’s report and wishes to draw attention to the following points.

Article 2, paragraphs 1 and 3, of the Convention. In the light of current challenges facing health-care systems in general, such as rising costs and restructuring of health services, advances in medical technology and work reorganization, or growing workload and stress, the Committee requests the Government to outline the objectives and priorities of its policy concerning nursing services and to elaborate on any time-bound action plan, programme or initiative aiming at improving the quality of nursing care, promoting knowledge and skill enhancement for nursing personnel and ensuring sufficiently rewarding working conditions for the practice of the nursing profession, especially in the light of the Munich Declaration of the European Health Ministers of June 2000 regarding nursing and midwifery and the WHO European Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery Education.

Articles 5 and 6. Further to its previous comment on this point, the Committee would thank the Government for transmitting, together with its next report, copies of all collective agreements in effect regulating remuneration and working conditions of nursing personnel employed in public or private hospitals, nursing homes and medical centres.

Article 7. The Committee would appreciate being kept informed of any new measures or initiatives regarding the adaptation of existing laws and regulations on occupational safety and health to the special nature of nursing work.

Part V of the report form. The Committee would be grateful to the Government for supplying detailed information on the practical application of the Convention, including for instance up-to-date statistics on the number of nurses employed in the public and private sectors, the nurse-to-population ratio, the number of students attending nursing schools, copies of official reports or studies (e.g., annual reports of the Directorate Nursing Services or publications of the Institute of Health Care and the Nursing and Midwifery Board) addressing labour and employment issues concerning nursing services and nursing personnel, as well as any practical difficulties encountered in the implementation of the Convention.