President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed concern about the increasing number of South African nurses moving to work abroad amid a growing shortage of nurses in the country.

“We are seeing a decline in training numbers,” Ramaphosa said in his address at the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa’s (Denosa) ninth congress, which is being held at Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg.

The three-day conference is expected to discuss several issues currently facing the healthcare sector.

He acknowledged that the decline could be attributed not solely to fewer people seeing nursing as an attractive career, but he urged the conference to address the matters facing the healthcare system.

This includes issues of nurses, doctors and other medical professionals going out of the country for work.

“You need to discuss how we deal with this spectre of recruitment that is taking place among those of your profession to other countries,” he said.

He said the issue of delays in accreditation, which contributes to the issue of nurses leaving the country to work abroad, will also be discussed at the conference.

“We welcome the fact that this is one of the issues under discussion at this congress,” Ramaphosa said.

He expressed concern over the large number of South African nurses being recruited by other countries, at a time when the country is facing a shortage of nurses.

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

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

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

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Denosa has previously raised concerns about the shortage of nurses in public health facilities, with 20,000 nurses unemployed, according to a recent article by Mancosa on the National Health Insurance (NHI).

Mancosa, a distance-learning-focused private higher education institution, said the Department of Health has a vacancy rate of 18.6% for specialist medical personnel and 13.7% for nurses.

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

“The staff shortage in many facilities is leading to community frustration directed at the nurses as patients must queue for long hours in clinics and hospitals while healthcare workers face heavy workloads and suffer burnout and depression as a result,” the union said.

However, Ramaphosa called on Denosa to ensure that training and capacity-building efforts align with community needs, as well as with the evolution of diseases.

“Denosa needs to be more engaged in policy development efforts and ensure that as new policies emerge, the nursing profession has made inputs and considered the impact of these new policies on their members,” he added.

Ramaphosa emphasised Denosa’s role in supporting the NHI initiative, stating the passage of the NHI Act was a milestone where society's access to quality healthcare is not determined by one background or ability to pay.

“The NHI will bring the country closer to its aspiration of being a society where the human dignity of all is upheld at all times,” he said.

“The right to dignity matters most when people are sick, when they need help, and when they are most vulnerable.

“Our nurses will be the backbone of NHI,” he added.

Ramaphosa urged Denosa to lead the discussions around skilling and training, health systems strengthening, and other crucial matters.

“Beyond preparation for NHI, the nursing profession faces emerging challenges,” he said.

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

IOL Politics

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Ramaphosa raises alarm as nurse exodus worsens SA healthcare crisis