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DENOSA North West demands immediate reinstatement of community service nurses in the province, or else…
Media statement
Wednesday, 01 July 2015
DENOSA calls on Auditor-General to look into financial management within the department
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) in North West condemns in the strongest possible term the last-minute withdrawal of all community service nurses in the province from work as of today, and demands their immediate reinstatement back to work or face the law. We will also take the matter to the streets if they don’t take us seriously.
Yesterday, the provincial Department of Health notified all community service nurses (those professional nurses who have completed their four years of nursing studies the previous year) not to come to work today until the department has the money.
DENOSA views this matter in the serious light as the consequences of the withdrawal of community service nurses in hospitals and clinics around the province will result in extremely high vacancy rates and compromised quality of patient care while they are sitting at home. Most concerning, the few nurses who remain in the health system will become the subjects of anger from community members as queues in facilities where these nurses were working will be longer and service will become slower.
Health professionals are essential service workers, and therefore DENOSA demands that nurses be not the ones made to suffer for the poor planning of the Department Human Resource division. This means the Department’s HR never planned for these nurses who have been in government’s enrolment since they began studying.
“Let those who have created the mess be the ones that sit at home, for they have nothing to do with caring for patients in our facilities in the first place. They must not transfer the consequences of their lethargy and poor performance to the most needed nurses in the healthcare system. It is out of order for nurses to bear the blunt of their uselessness in the department,” says DENOSA Provincial Secretary in North West, Oscar Phaka.
Previously, the Department has sent letters to 70 community service nurses in the province instructing them not to come to work for the month of June. DENOSA raised alarms over this matter, but it appears that financial management inefficiency has gotten far worse than they have realised and want to chop all more than 300 community service nurses in the province. As matters seem to get worse by the day, DENOSA urges the Auditor-General to look into financial affairs of the department in the province before the far worst thing happens – closure of more critical areas of the department.
If the Department does not reinstate these nurses as a matter of urgency, DENOSA will force it to do so via a court order. In the age of gross shortage of nurses in the country’s healthcare system, including North West, it is downright cruel for the Department to relegate nurses to sitting at home while long queues at healthcare facilities compromise the quality of health service to the people of the province.
End
Issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) in North West
For more information, contact:
Oscar Phaka, DENOSA Provincial Secretary in North West
Mobile: 060 583 4691
Or
Sibongiseni Delihlazo, DENOSA Communications Manager
Mobile: 079 875 2663
Email: sibongisenid@denosa.org.za
Website: www.denosa.org.za
Facebook: DENOSA National Page
Twitter: @DENOSAORG
