conference
3 October 2006
The Gauteng Department of Health is hosting a two-day Nursing Education
Conference to discuss major challenges facing the nursing profession in the
province.
The conference taking place at Golf Reef City, Johannesburg, is to discuss
several issues including training more nurses with specific reference to the
critical shortage of nurses in hospitals, districts, primary healthcare and
health priority programmes.
Addressing the conference MEC for Health, Brian Hlongwa said the event is
held in response to the national Department of Health's Human Resource
Plan.
"The plan attempts to deal with the crisis at the national level and the
Gauteng Provincial Government Human Resources Strategy deals with challenges
and opportunities that we face as a province."
Hlongwa stated that the combined shortage of nurses and that of medical
doctors compel the department to revisit its training priorities and
strategies.
"We need to determine which categories needs to be prioritised in order to
ensure that adequate numbers of qualified auxiliary, enrolled, professional and
specialist nurses are available to meet the increased demand for quality
patient care," Hlongwa said.
Hlongwa cited that the following areas have been identified as needing
urgent attention regarding nurses:
* improved remuneration for nurses
* improved conditions of services for nurses
* review of nursing qualifications
* review of scopes for practice.
The shortage of nurses in the province prompted the Premier in his State of
the Province address in 2004, to commit the Gauteng Department of Health to
increase the intake production of nurses by 20 percent per annum as from the
2004/05 financial year.
As a result of this emphasis, the provincial health's annual report showed
the department has managed to retain many of its critical staff members in the
past two financial years (2004/05 and 2005/06).
According to the annual report the total vacancy rate for professional
nurses has declined in the 2003/04 financial year. The attrition rate for
doctors improved from 35,8 percent to 21,2 percent in the same period.
Last year, the department managed to recruit 7 302 new employees. A total of
2 950 health professionals were among the new employees recruited and this
figure was above the target of 2 500 set by Premier Mbhazima Shilowa.
For more information contact:
Zanele Zungu
Tel: (011) 355 3515
Cell: 082 334 9820
Issued by: Department of Health, Gauteng Provincial Government
3 October 2006
