History will be in the making when the MEC for Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo welcomes in the department 328 long serving Community Care Givers (CCGs) who have been trained and qualified to become nurses in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
The training of Community Care Givers commenced at the KwaZulu-Natal College of Nursing Campuses and Sub Campuses on 1 October 2010. All these Community Care Givers were trained and are now nurse graduates who are fully employed by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health – a major contribution to job creation.
This day is a realisation of a dream by MEC Dhlomo who when he assumed responsibility as the MEC for Health in KwaZulu-Natal introduced the training of Community Care Givers. Furthermore, Dr Dhlomo had a vision that such Community Care Givers should be trained to become fully fledged qualified nurses. This vision has become a reality to the benefit of all communities of the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
Throughout the years of rendering healthcare service to different communities, the Community Care Givers have made huge sacrifices including using their stipends to buy food for the sick and poverty afflicted members of communities in KwaZulu-Natal. They crisscrossed the deep rural areas of the Province, sometimes risking their lives.
MEC Dhlomo says, “the Community Care Givers have made a huge contribution in ensuring that patients with chronic illnesses don’t default in taking their medication and that every pregnant woman attends antenatal care.”
The contribution of the Community Care Givers will also ensure that the province realises the objective to reduce the risk of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV to less than 1.4% by 2016. This target is achievable considering the fact that the province has already succeeded in reducing the transmission rate from 22% in 2005 to 2.8% in 2011.
All media is invited to attend and cover this event detailed as follows:
Date: Thursday, 12 September 2013
Time: 09h30
Venue: Royal Showgrounds, Pietermaritzburg
For further enquiries please contact:
Sam Mkhwanazi
Cell: 081 038 2193
