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#TimeIsNow for nurses to be the voice that leads
By Simon Hlungwani - DENOSA President
DENOSA declared 2017 the Year of the Member, to be the voices that leads. We started by carrying out a mandate given by our members that we march to the National Department of Health and the South African Nursing Council (SANC). A big thanks to all those who worked very hard to mobilise for the march. Our march was held under the theme or hashtag: #TimeIsNow
Indeed it was well attended. Nurse showing their strength of unity in action. We should no longer tolerate the level of substandard service by the nursing Council and must exert pressure on the Department of Health to resolve all the challenges that we have in order to ensure a positive practice environment that will ensure the realisation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Both the Department of Health and SANC have responded to our memorandums. We have already met with the Minister to discuss resolutions to the matters raised in our memorandum. Our adjourned meeting is to be reconvened to finalise all matters. We are looking forward to meeting the nursing Council soon.
Nurses will be celebrating the International Nurses Day (IND) on the 12th of May worldwide under the 2017 theme: A VOICE TO LEAD – ACHIEVING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS. DENOSA would like to call upon every nurse to be a voice that leads the health services within our country. Don’t keep quiet when things are not going well. #TimeIsNow for nurses to be the voice that leads in society.
One of the most vulnerable groups in society is psychiatric patients. It was really disturbing to learn from the Health Ombudsman that around 94 patients died as a results of moving them from Life Esidimeni mental care centres to NGOs in Gauteng Province, and still counting as there still some bodies in mortuaries that are unaccounted for. The move is said to have been meant to save costs of caring for these patients by government. However it failed to save lives when life is a human right. One can only hope that this serves as a lesson to all executive authorities not to prioritise money over life.
The tragedy that happened at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital where the roof of the main entrance collapsed is evidence of risky environment where nurses have to render nursing care to the patients. We will continue to demand revitalisation and maintenance of infrastructure in health as it poses risk to the lives of innocent people.
The ICN Quadrennial Congress is so close, which will be held in Barcelona, Spain in May – June this year. I hope Nurses took advantage of the early bird discounted registration fees. Once more, I encourage Nurses to participate through presentations of abstracts. More information is available on the congress website http://www.icncongress.com and ICN website www.icn.ch
May God Bless Our country.
