Nurses sometimes become ‘devils in white’ for a good reason

HEALTH Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi recently addressed nurses in Seshego at a gathering to celebrate International Nurses Day.

One of the things he raised was that “patients want a warm smile and soothing hands” when visiting a hospital.

He further said when going to hospital, the last thing patients expect is a “devil in white”.

This is subject to many interpretations – positive and negative.

When a patient visits a health facility, whether a clinic, a health centre or a hospital – at whatever level – he or she will meet a nurse. It is more likely that this patient may not meet any other professional, including a doctor. This is why we call nurses “the backbone of the health care system” in South Africa.

Patients sometimes, when visiting hospitals, don’t meet doctors – not because there is no need, but because there is no doctor.

Doctors are often not present for two reasons – the gross shortage of doctors or because the doctors are somewhere else, in their rooms or at their private practices even while fully employed by the department of health. In both instances, the minister and his/her MECs are accountable.

Then, there is not only a shortage of doctors, but pharmacists and other health professionals.

This shortage contributes to the crisis in which some nurses end up being accused of being “devils in white”.

The minister and his/her MECs are responsible for making clinics and hospitals the homes of such “devils”.

Some clinics are the homes of devils because you will find only a nurse without the necessary equipment and materials to attend to the patient.

This is not an excuse but a fact that the minister needs to accept in order to eliminate the problem.

In South Africa there are clinics led by nurses without support of other nurses and whoever else is necessary. That nurse, whether she likes it or not, will lose passion and get irritated, with the possibility of being rude to clients. That thing is clear.

I advise the minister to start facing the reality of very bad working conditions in health facilities, rather than being in denial.

I condemn all acts of mistreatment of clients by all health professionals including nurses. But I will not agree to isolating nurses while the whole system is made up of many professionals, including the minister as a leader. — Songezo Madyibhi, professional nurse, Eastern Cape experienced and far less able was appointed.

I took the SAPS on and in evidence before the arbitrator it emerged that senior police officers had committed fraud.

They not only changed the minutes after the panel had decided on me, but changed the incumbent as well. A brigadier gave that chilling testimony. Those fingered for that corruption were not in any way dealt with.

For them it was business as usual and the supposed-to-be embarrassed senior officer waltzed on into retirement without an iota of shame for the lives destroyed in his trail. I also know mine was not the only case. Pursuant to the incident, and in the belief that I would be targeted, embarrassed and isolated, I took the hard decision to quit. I have never looked back.

I wish Detective-Constable Nkatazo all the best in his future endeavours. — Mike Maseti, Berea

I asked him what was being done to upgrade these stone-age fire hydrants and to make them visible and user friendly. Also when were these fire hydrants last serviced by the fire department?

His answer was “my vriend ek is maar net ‘n werker” (my friend I am simply a worker). So what is the Buffalo City Metro doing about these vital features in our areas, or about their absence?

In order to make the Eastern Cape become like the Western Cape, better governance is needed and qualified people need to be appointed to key positions in local government. — Burton Brown, Buffalo Flats