Deadline for nurses withdrawal extended
The deadline was set by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa
A DEADLINE set by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) for safety measures to be implemented for nurses working in unsafe areas, has been extended.
After the hijacking of three Ngwelezana Hospital nurses near Empangeni last month, DENOSA said it would withdraw all its members in areas where their safety was no longer guaranteed and gave government until 31 August to intervene.
The nurses were hijacked while returning from an outreach programme, taken deep into the bush and abandoned.
‘Our health professionals are concerned and afraid and if we stop going to that area, people are going to start dying,’ said KZN MEC for Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, after meeting the nurses.
Dhlomo said he had met with uThungulu SAPS Cluster Commander Major General Zonde, who offered to escort Department of Health vehicles.
He also committed to meeting with MEC for Community Safety, Mxolisi Kaunda, to find a permanent solution to the problem.
‘It is our view that we want to give the process a chance so that we can hear what plans and measures are going to be put in place to guarantee our members’ safety,’ said DENOSA KZN provincial secretary Cassim Lekhoathi.
DOH at the time confirmed that 18 of its vehicles had been hijacked so far in 2016.
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