Kimberley – Public healthcare facilities in the Northern Cape are to receive an injection of 50 new nurses with immediate effect. Speaking at a graduation ceremony today, Health MEC Fufe Makatong said unlike in the past, the 50 nurses that graduated are to be absorbed by the facilities where they are to conduct their community service.
“We have noted that some of the graduates have not been absorbed in the past after the completion of their community service and we therefore made interventions to ensure that those few nurses be absorbed.
“Going forward we will not have such a situation again as these nurses will be absorbed in the facilities in which they performed their community service.”
MEC Makatong now also appears to be having a remedy for unemployed graduate nurses.
“In addition to this, we are aware of the shortage of nurses and we are calling on graduate and nurses to approach us so that we can employ and place this critical skill in the areas needed.”
She emphasised the department’s efforts in Henrietta Stockdale Nursing College’s implementation of new nursing programmes. The college hired 17 specialists with a focus in clinical, psychological and social work support recently.
It appears the once beleaguered department is now on a path of healing and getting its priorities right, particularly in bolstering the backbone of healthcare; the nursing workforce.
“We have already started with the construction of a new nursing college and plans are afoot to see how we can accelerate this to ensure that our nursing college becomes the jewel of our province.”
With the unhealthy state of some facilities having drawn unwanted negative publicity over the years, MEC Makatong flagged the cleanliness at facilities and the fostering of a safe environment for patients and staff. “We have employed a total of 771 health facility assistants and distributed them throughout the province in order to ensure equity to address areas where there has not been adequate staff at facilities.”
In making amends for a late start in proceedings, the South African Police Services (SAPS) band serenaded the graduates and family members that came to support them with cover versions of popular pop genre songs which left many stomping their feet.
“It is a huge privilege for me to have been chosen in the first place to do this course. I am very grateful and blessed,” enthused Ayesha Abbot from De Aar, who was conferred with a four-year national diploma in nursing.
By Thabo Mothibi
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Thabo Mothibi is a former broadcast journalist (TV and Radio) – with specialist reporting experience; SABC Political/Parliamentary and TRC Teams over a period of five years (1995 to 2000).
One key foreign assignment - is the 11-nation African Connection Rally – overland journey from Africa’s northern-most pole in the coastal Tunisian city of Bizerte to the southern-most pole in South Africa’s Cape Agulhas. From the journalistic years, Thabo then delved into Government media liaison and serving two former Ministers and three MECs. He became the Northern Cape Provincial Government’s first department based Communications Director at Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development - 2008-2010 – where he also served as Head of Ministry from 2003 – 2008.
As a former anti-apartheid activist, his political background and professional training aided him in spearheading the Northern Cape ANC’s 2004 National Elections media and publicity campaign and that of the 2006 Local Government Elections.
Whilst based in Waterkloof in Pretoria -2010 to end 2011, he consulted for Manstrat Agricultural Intelligence, then returned to the Northern Cape in 2012 to date, to consult independently and pursue other entrepreneurial interests in media and communications through KwaVuko Communications and Marketing.
Thabo Mothibi obtained his NQF7 through Wits University’s Graduate School of Public and Development Management (P&DM) in Johannesburg, a Unilever Mandela Rhodes Academy for Marketing and Communications Academy (UMRA). The goal of the NQF7 programme was to educate and train public and private sector professional communicators and marketers in government communications..
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