MEDIA STATEMENT
Friday, 27 May 2022
KIMBERLEY – The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) Northern Cape’s Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) will be convening a special meeting on the 1st of June 2022 to discuss and resolve on the way forward regarding the non-responsiveness of the Premier of the Province, Dr Zamani Saul, after a memorandum of grievances and demands was personally delivered to him on the 12th May 2022 by the nurses of the Northern Cape.
During the march by nurses on International Nurses Day, Dr Zamani Saul was given seven days to respond to the demands of nurses over shortage of staff and budget cuts, but unfortunately no response was received up until today, the 27th May 2022.
The Provincial Office Bearers (POBs) of DENOSA in Northern Cape view this action as blatantly undermining the plight of nurses in the Northern Cape and DENOSA as a registered trade union, as well as a total disregard in recognising the poor state of health service delivery to communities in the Northern Cape, who are the most vulnerable and poor in society.
Over the past years, several promises were made by both the Provincial Department of Health and the Premier to improve health service delivery, but none of these promises have been converted to action on the ground.
Nursing education is nearly non-existent with no intake to produce nurses for the last three years, thereby creating a massive shortfall in replacing nurses in the existing vacant posts within the department of Health. The hours of several health facilities had to be reduced by DENOSA within this year because there were simply not enough nurses to run 24 hour services. These facilities include Warrenton CHC, Pampierstad CHC and Connie Vorster District Hospital in the Francis Baard District.
In other facilities such as Dr Van Niekerk Hospital in Springbok in the Namaqua District, beds had to be closed because of the severe shortage in that district. Furthermore, in all other health facilities in the province, the services that communities receive are similar to that which will be received when purchasing groceries at a supermarket in that patients are only scanned and let go, because of the sheer numbers that a short-staffed nursing fraternity need to deal with, with a hope that nothing serious will happen to their patients.
The unfortunate consequence of a government that is unable to deliver health services is that poor communities are unable to access quality health services as mandated by the Constitution of South Africa. This is therefore a complete violation of their human rights and nurses are expected to contribute to these illegal actions.
DENOSA Northern Cape was clear to Dr Zamani Saul on the 12th of May 2022 that nurses will not continue to deliver sub-standard health services to their communities. The PEC will therefore deliberate on the most effective action necessary to convince our provincial government that nurses and their communities need to be taken seriously and that a committed effort should be made to bring back quality health services to the people of the Northern Cape.
This commitment by our provincial government will require the political will and courage that our nurses of the province and their communities need in this time.
END
Issued by DENOSA in Northern Cape.
For more information, contact:
Anthony Vassen, DENOSA Northern Cape Provincial Secretary.
Mobile: 072 569 9838
Email: anthonyv@denosa.org.za
