大象传媒

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Yousra Samir Imran, a British Egyptian writer and author

Good morning.

Today is the 75th anniversary of the NHS. When it was founded in 1948 it was the first universal health system that was free to all.

Before the NHS, those who could not afford to pay for healthcare relied on the generosity of volunteers and philanthropists.

Thanks to the NHS, thousands of adults and children who would have previously died from illnesses such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, measles or whooping cough received vaccinations and free lifesaving treatment.

And in recent times, hundreds of thousands of people were treated and saved during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which thousands of nurses, doctors and NHS workers were on the frontlines.

Many of us have stories to tell of how the NHS was there for us or loved ones.

Last year when I gave birth my to first child, the NHS swooped in to provide me with immediate healthcare when my mental health broke down after childbirth.

Thanks to the healthcare and support I received from my NHS psychiatrist, mental health nurse and CBT therapist, I recovered from crippling postpartum anxiety and depression and became a functioning mother who was able to bond with and take care of her child. I don鈥檛 know where I鈥檇 be today if they hadn鈥檛 acted so quickly.

So today , as we take part in the NHS鈥檚 birthday celebrations, I鈥檇 like to keep NHS workers in my prayers. God, Most Generous, Most Kind, protect and reward our NHS workers, and continue to enable them to provide free healthcare for everyone.

Ameen.

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