View all
DENOSA urges travellers to drive safely because there are few health workers
Media statement
Thursday, 15 December 2016
As most citizens will be travelling to their holiday destinations from today, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) would like to urge all those that will be on the road this festive season to drive safely, obey the rules of the road all the time and take some rest whenever necessary because there may be few nurses in facilities closer to where they will be travelling, in cases of accidents.
This is because we have few health workers such as nurses in facilities that are outside the big cities, where most accidents often happen and during awkward hours. This scarcity of health workers, plus the severe shortage of resources such as ambulances in those facilities, play a major contributory factor in the deaths of many patients from their injuries. Statistics in SA have proven that many deaths in South Africa are as results of injuries.
Many victims of accidents in South Africa die from accidents mainly because of excessive bleeding and late arrival of care, as many accidents often happen in remote areas and outside of the cities.
The shortage of nurses in many facilities in the country is a message that we have been communicating throughout the years, and this year also compels us to do the same as there has been no improvement in the situation.
DENOSA hopes this message will assist those that will be on the road to have this information beforehand, so that they think about it and drive carefully.
This period tends to cause too much bottlenecking in our semi-rural and rural facilities, where you find that majority South Africans move to rural areas where only about 20 percent of the country’s health workers are.
We wish great strength to nurses who will be on duty during this festive season, as we know they will do their best in saving lives as they have always done one under the trying circumstances.
DENOSA would like to wish all South Africans, and health workers in particular, a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!
End
Issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA)
For more information, contact:
Oscar Phaka, DENOSA General Secretary
Mobile: 082 328 9771
Or
Sibongiseni Delihlazo, DENOSA Communications Manager
Mobile: 079 875 2663
Website: www.denosa.org.za
Twitter: @DENOSAORG
Facebook: DENOSA National Page
