The North West Department of Health has committed to appointing 146 post-community service nurses after an engagement with the MEC of Health and its executive members. Other nurses will wait for posts to be advertised.

The Department of Health anticipated the time for the completion of the appointment process to be during May so that prospective candidates can be communicated to in due time.

“We are not even sure if, for May, communication will be sent out to people. Many nurses are still on the street and jobless, others are completing their studies at higher learning institutions,” said North West Denosa Student Movement secretary Mothusi Lebatle.

‘We have been soft in the approach of this issue’

“As Denosa we have to go back to the drawing board and re-strategise on how to put pressure, as this is now getting out of hand and we have been soft in the approach of this issue,” said Lebatle.

Over 200 unemployed nurses in North West to stage sit-in at Provincial Health Offices in Mafikeng on Monday, #DENOSA North West @moeraneb14 @eNCA pic.twitter.com/Nu8cL2uA1K

— @COSATU Today (@_cosatu) April 18, 2024

“The department has committed to appointing the post Commserves as previously indicated. The hurdle is the turnaround time due to the extension of the cost containment treasury measures as per circular 20 of 2024.”

The appointment process had to be redone to comply with the circular and consolidation of all prospective appointees and was done by all departmental branches.

Noordwes se LUR kort week om te besluit oor verpleegstersvakbond se eise

Two hundred nurses were going to stage a sit-in at the Department of Health offices in Mafikeng on Monday 22 April to demand immediate employment as clinics and hospitals in the province suffered from a shortage of nursing staff.

South Africa’s health department is in talks with the National Treasury to “find creative ways” to secure funds to employ more medical professionals such as doctors, nurses and dentists.https://t.co/rnFSYi9LoT

— Daily Investor (@DailyInvestorSA) February 6, 2024

The sit-in was then postponed because of last-minute engagements with the MEC of Health, Madoda Sambatha who then requested a week to look at how he can meet the nurses’ demands.

“In the meeting, the department confirmed the allocation of R100 million to Health for appointments of nurses post concurrence reviews, (between Health and Treasury),” said Lebatle.

“The MEC agreed that the administration will deal with the advert for the nurses who completed their community service between January and June 2024.”

OFM News/Zenande Mpame cg