Appreciate our nurses, says union
Nurses work long, hard hours to help the sick and weak recover.
International Nurse’s Day was celebrated worldwide on Friday 12 May. Staff at the FH Odendaal Hospital and the MDR Hospital in Modimolle joined the celebrations.
“We celebrated this day to honor and appreciate the contribution of nurses worldwide. This day serves as a reminder of the vital role nurses play in providing quality healthcare to individuals and communities,” said Solly Maphologelo, spokesperson for the FH Odendaal Hospital.
They organized their event in collaboration with the nurse’s union Denosa.
“Denosa reminded the community that nurses form the heartbeat of the health sector — when we attack nurses, we attack the health system,” he said.
The union wished to encourage communities to support the nurses and raise awareness of their challenges.
During the event, Ntswanono Ngobeni, a nurse at the Mookgophong Health Centre, was honored for her exceptional effort in helping a woman from Mookgophong deliver her baby en route to the FH Odendaal Hospital in Modimolle.
The country faces a critical shortage of nurses. According to Life Healthcare, South Africa has only one nurse per 213 citizens. Of these, less than a third are younger than forty and within 15 years, 47% of all nurses will have retired. It is estimated that there is a current shortage of 26 000 professionals, but this number will reach more than 100 000 by 2030.
The hospital group has warned that unless more nurses are trained to address this shortage of crucial skills, the country will face severe problems in the future.
