Gauteng backtracks on nursing intake
Those already screened will be admitted – MEC
The Gauteng health department changed its tune on the nursing college crisis yesterday, saying that it will make funding available for all qualifying students.
The department initially said it lacked R57-million to fund 700 first year students for 2018, resulting in demonstrations at some of the nursing campuses in the province.
However, health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa yesterday said they would postpone the start of first year nursing classes until they can source funds for bursaries and training material.
Ramokgopa said they would make sure qualifying candidates are admitted at the various colleges. She said they were excited first year students would receive learning materials on tablets this year.
“Because of the financial situation we are looking at postponing the starting of the training for first years only.
“We will certainly ensure that at the beginning of the financial year, the students who have gone through the screening are indeed part of the first year group that we are taking.”
She said it was impossible for the department not to admit students as 1 000 nurses left the system every year.
“So there is no way we will not take first year students. It is just a matter of making sure that by the time we take them there are finances to pay for their bursaries,” she said.
Yesterday, angry students who had gathered at the Chris Hani Baragwanath and Ann Lansky campuses were demanding to start classes. They chanted for the entrance to be opened while carrying placards with the words “Nurses have rights” written on them.
Deputy president of the Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union, Fikile Dikolomela- Lengene, said the department should explain what happened to the money meant to fund the students.
She said the fact that they had allowed people to apply and complete the screening process last year showed it had already budgeted funds for bursaries. “Where is that money? Something is fishy with that department,” she said.
Mangaliso Sambo from the EFF Student Command said they urged students not to sit at home and accept what the department was telling them.
“We are here to tell the department to stop fooling around with money and open nursing colleges,” Sambo said.
One of the affected students, Xolani Buso, said many people had resigned from their jobs after they were promised entrance at nursing colleges.
“I came here because I want answers. They have never told us anything. We keep hearing rumours that the department doesn’t have money.”
Tiisetso Bareki said she found it strange that the department could afford to spend billions of rands on flavoured condoms but claimed not to have money to train nurses.
“It is very frustrating. We can’t even move forward.”