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DENOSA response to the Health Budget Vote Speech yesterday
Media Statement
Wednesday, 11 May 2016
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) notes the Health Budget Vote Speech delivered by Health Minister in Parliament yesterday, and notably the slight increase in the budget to R38, 5 billion, and especially some interventions that will bring slight relief to long queues as well as workload for health workers.
We applaud his announcement that in September this year, CD4 count will no longer be eligibility criterion for ARV treatment, and that as soon as a person is diagnosed with HIV, ARV treatment will commence immediately. DENOSA would like to encourage South Africans to test and know their status so they could be able to get treatment as soon as they have been diagnosed. This will be beneficial to their health and longevity.
As a leading country in the fight against HIV/AIDS, this announcement places South Africa further up as an exemplary country that is serious about enhancing the health of its citizens, as SA will now be complying with the World Health Organisation’s latest guidelines on the treatment of HIV. This will also go a long way in addressing exposure of HIV positive patients to other opportunistic diseases such as TB and meningitis. This initiative is likely to boost the life expectancy of South Africa further in line with the objectives of National Development Plan (NDP).
DENOSA would like to urge the minister to also consider increasing the number of nurses in our facilities so that this initiative becomes a success that it must be, and not be hindered by overcrowding that currently takes place in our facilities. Nurses and doctors are both sides of the same coin. While we appreciate the number of doctors that are trained in Cuba, we call on government to increase country capacity to train more doctors and nurses within the country.
DENOSA further welcomes Central Chronic Medicine Dispensing and Distribution (CCMDD) programme that the minister announced, which is aimed at servicing patients who are on chronic medication at the pick-up points nearer to their homes instead of servicing them at the already congested health facilities. If successful, this will have positive spin-offs in easing up waiting periods for many patients in our health facilities.
As an organisation, we fully support these announcements and further call on the Department to address the concerning issue of slack security in facilities before the country witnesses a mass exodus of nurses from public sector to either private or abroad where their safety and security is always assured.
“As nurses, we are part of the community and we will be the foot soldiers that will initiate more people onto ARV treatment. But as much as we care, we also need to be cared for. And the issue of security and remuneration of danger allowance is one way of fulfilling that, and employing enough health workers is equally taking care of us,” says DENOSA President, Simon Hlungwani.
End
Issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA)
For more information, contact:
DENOSA President, Simon Hlungwani.
Mobile: 079 501 4922
Or
DENOSA Communications Manager, Sibongiseni Delihlazo
Mobile: 079 875 2663
Tel: 012 343 2315
Email: sibongisenid@denosa.org.za
Website: www.denosa.org.za
Facebook: DENOSA National Page
Twitter:@DENOSAORG
