The Department of Health in the North West province will in the next five years release 1 592 new nurses from Government Nursing colleges tasked with producing nurses for public health facilities in the province.
More than 336 nurses will be released from Mmabatho College of Nursing and Excelsius Colleges of Nursing in Klerksdorp to do mandatory community service in rural health facilities this year. The colleges will produce 305 nurses in 2012, 342 nurses in 2013 and 389 nurses in 2014 as per targets of the department.
The department this year awarded 220 bursaries to new recruits at government nursing colleges and North West University to study a four year diploma in Nursing Science and midwifery. The awarding of bursaries follows extensive consultation with the Department of Health, the Health Council and Health Organisations after students at Mmabatho College of Nursing deserted their academic duties over housing allowance, and uniform allowance. The bursary system replaces previous arrangement of employing aspirant nurses and sends them to nursing college.
The new nursing professionals upon completion will add value and help address an acute shortage in hospitals, Community Health Centres and clinics especially in remote rural areas. The department need over 2 000 nurses to complete its nursing staff complement and is pleased that the plan to produce 1 590 professional nurses will eventually curb shortage.
Despite various measures to increase access to health care, the province faces the challenge of retaining medical professionals. However, the department remains hopeful that pursuit goal for universal access to quality health care services will be reached.
The department continues to respond faster to improve the health status of communities through implementation of integrated health programme, provide accessible, equitable and affordable comprehensive primary health care service.
The department would like to place on record that NO nursing professional who completed a four year nursing diploma at Government run nursing college is unemployed.
Tebogo Lekgethwane (Department Spokesperson)
Cell: 082 929 9958
E-mail: tlekgethwane@nwpg.gov.za
