HARDLY, a week after celebrating World Nurses Day, it seems their cry continues to fall on deaf ears.
This week, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) in Gauteng, are complaining of staffing shortages and poor working conditions.
As a result, they demand an urgent meeting with MEC for Health Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko and his boss Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, to address these concerns, and the immediate lifting of the moratorium on hiring of nurses.
Bongani Banda, the union’s provincial chairperson said: “The department has not filled vacant posts in almost a year. Nurses are retiring, some are leaving the country and yet no one is being hired to replace them. Our nurses are working under extreme pressure,” says Banda.
Denosa also wants the permanent employment of community service nurses and former Covid-19 contract workers, many of whom are still working without full benefits.
“There is no clear reason they are not being paid with full benefits.”
The union raised its grievances with Nkomo-Ralehoko and Lesufi earlier this year, where they also warned about budget underspending.
“Our submission of the memorandum will be a follow-up and intensifying on our issues because the underspending and returning of budget that we anticipated in January in our meeting has happened as anticipated,” continued Banda.
At the time of publishing Motaletale Modiba, spokesperson for the health department had not responded for a comment, having been redirected by the Premier’s office to Modiba.
Image (Denosa wants immediate answers from MEC for Health Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko).
