The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) in Gauteng has given the provincial Health Department until next month to address nursing staff shortages, reduce the number of acting managerial positions and improve health infrastructure.
The union also wants hospitals across the province to be adequately supplied with medical equipment and medication to enable healthcare workers to deliver quality services.
DENOSA Gauteng Chairperson Bongani Banda says failure to address the concerns by the deadline will lead to protests to ensure that the union’s demands are met.
“In many healthcare facilities, a single nurse in a general ward is responsible for more than 40 patients per shift. A single midwife may attend to around eight women or more in labour, while the situation is even worse in clinics. This is due to inadequate staffing levels,” says Banda.
He says regarding leadership instability, there is a continuing high vacancy rate in key executive management positions, such as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), with many individuals serving in an acting capacity.
