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DENOSA Northern Cape applauds the provincial department for opening new hospital in Upington
Media statement
Tuesday, 02 September 2014
Hospital with state-of-the-art technology will employ more nurses and accommodate more patients
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) Northern Cape would like to applaud the provincial department for building and opening up a new and bigger hospital in Upington with state-of-the-art modern technology that will speedily serve the great needs of patients in the area.
Last year, DENOSA first launched the Positive Practice Environments (PPE) campaign in the Province in the JTG region in collaboration with South African Medical Association. The campaign is a call by health professionals for an improvement in the conditions in health facilities for health professionals to provide their essential service under conducive environment and for patients to receive quality and timeous healthcare that improves their health.
DENOSA views the opening of the hospital as a positive move that realizes a positive practice environment for the community of Upington, as the capacity of the only other hospital in the region (Gordonia Hospital) was merely half the size of the new Dr Harry Surtie Hospital which will accommodate 327 sleep-in patients at any time. The previous hospital was built in 1954.
“This is the improvement that will go a long way in improving the lives of the people of the community, as well as address the challenges of attracting health professionals with scarce skills in areas like Upington. This is the move that will motivate health professionals and bring harmony between health workers and community members,” says DENOSA Chairperson in Northern Cape, Martin Taolo.
As the organisation for nurses, DENOSA in the province is also pleased to hear of the intention by the Health MEC, Mack Jack, to look at issues of great concern for nurses in the province such as Occupation-Specific Dispensation (OSD), Performance Management Development System (PMDS) as well as issues of rural allowance for nurses working in rural communities as a way to motivate and attract workers in such communities.
The state-of-the-art equipment and technology that the hospital comes with, such as cardio scan, will certainly improve the contribution of health professionals in the facilities when taking care of patients, and some of the infrastructure, which is one of the eight high-technology equipments in the country, will also create the need to capacitate and empower health professionals, in line with the theme of this year by International Council of Nurses (ICN) which states clearly that for a nurse to be the agent for change, they must be well-trained and empowered as well as motivated. The new hospital epitomizes the ideal conditions for a health facility in South Africa especially in areas where it is most needed.
“We are also pleased to learn that there will be another opening of health facility in De Aar, another region where there is great need to improve the health condition of community members, which will assist the Central Karoo Hospital in De Aar. This is also the district, Pixley Ka Seme District, that is one of the pilot sites for the NHI, ” adds Taolo.
“As DENOSA, we commit ourselves to continue to look into means of improving the service that nurses render to community, through educational programmes provided by our organisation’s professional wing, DENOSA Professional Institute (DPI), to change and improve the attitude of nurses and to empower them into becoming leaders that lead the improvement of health care in their service by identifying correct channels to address the challenges encountered in facilities that they work in.”
Organisation also hosts community dialogues between community members and health workers, as a way for community members to understand PPE and attitude of some community members.
Both the campaign as well as the programme has had positive outcomes in the Kuruman and Kimberley areas where the Health Workers For Change (HWFC) programme has had positive results in improving the attitude of nurses under the environment where there are not enough nurses in facilities.
DENOSA aims to take this approach throughout the country.
End
Issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) Northern Cape
For more information, contact:
Martin Taolo, DENOSA Chairperson in Northern Cape
Mobile: 083 959 4363
Website: www.denosa.org.za
Facebook: DENOSA National Page
Twitter: @DENOSAORG
