Health Department to recruit 200 nurses amid safety concerns

As South Africa marks International Nurses Day, the Department of Health has announced plans to recruit 200 new nurses in the coming months to address the ongoing shortage of healthcare professionals.

The theme for this year’s commemoration, “Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for Nurses Strengthens Economies,” underlines the essential role nurses play in the health system, including providing frontline care and patient education.

The Department has also raised concerns about the safety of nurses, following an increase in incidents of violence, including assaults and robberies, particularly at primary health facilities.

Department spokesperson Foster Mohale says, “It is for this reason that the Department appeals to all stakeholders in the society to join hands with government, law enforcement agencies and various community-based structures to make health facilities safer places for nurses to carry out their duties of caring for the sick and provide much needed comprehensive healthcare without fear of becoming victims of crime.”

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