Ramaphosa flags nurse emigration and training decline at Denosa congress

President Cyril Ramaphosa has voiced his concern about the alarming trend of nurses leaving the country for positions abroad.

Speaking at the ninth national congress of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) held at the Birchwood Conference Centre in Ekurhuleni, Ramaphosa addressed the shortage of nurses, which has been exacerbated by the increasing number of health-care professionals seeking opportunities overseas.

“We are seeing a decline in training numbers,” said Ramaphosa.

The factors are beyond a lack of interest in the profession, he said. “The decline cannot be simply explained as fewer people seeing nursing as an attractive career, but also factors such as accreditation delays play a part.”

The country is facing a significant challenge with a high unemployment rate, he said, particularly among qualified medical doctors and nurses in provinces such as Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Limpopo.

Additionally the health-care system is grappling with severe understaffing, overcrowded hospitals, budget deficits and inadequate infrastructure.

In January Denosa voiced concern about the nursing shortage, which it said leads to many health-care workers facing heavy workloads while 20,000 nurses remain jobless.

Ramaphosa welcomed the topic being a key point of discussion at the Denosa congress, where solutions to the challenges are being explored. He emphasised the critical role of nurses in the health-care system and the country’s broader socioeconomic development.

“In an environment where South Africa has a shortage of nurses, we are encouraged that the issue of nurses being recruited in large numbers by other countries is also on the agenda,” he said.

The president also addressed the government’s strategic priorities for the next five years, which include driving inclusive growth, creating jobs and reducing poverty.

“Achieving improved, equitable health outcomes across the population is a critical enabler of economic growth and poverty eradication.”

Ramaphosa called on Denosa to play a more active role in shaping policy decisions that affect the nursing profession.

“Denosa is called upon to ensure the training and capacity-building efforts under way in support of its members align with community needs and with the evolution of diseases.”

He emphasised the importance of engaging with policymakers to ensure the nursing profession is well-represented in the development of new health-care policies.

“Nurses are part of the hardworking, dedicated corps of public servants who keep this country going from day to day,” he said, acknowledging the vital contributions of nurses to the nation.

He pointed to the positive trend of increasing nursing registrations with the SA Nursing Council as a hopeful sign for the future of the profession.

Ramaphosa stressed the nursing profession is integral to ensuring the delivery of quality public services and addressing the nation’s health-care needs.

TimesLIVE