Department says it will probe the shortage of nurses

THE North West health department has admitted that the Tlakgameng health centre has no hot water and burnt-out light bulbs have not been replaced.

Spokesman Tebogo Lekgathwane said the shortage of nurses was not reported but promised to investigate.

“The department is looking to implement a permanent solution for water and electricity ... by erecting boreholes and buying stand-by generators for all clinics and health centres in the province,” he said.

Lekgathwane said the challenge of a shortage of nurses was not unique to the province but was a national one.

“The burden of disease has contributed immensely to shortage of nurses because patients with chronic illnesses have increased drastically over the past few years, leading to undesirable long queues in our facilities,” he said.

He said this burden of diseases – HIV/Aids and TB, child and maternal deaths, non-communicable diseases, trauma and accidents – continues to put the department’s resources under pressure. He said they do not have enough health professionals to deal with these huge numbers of patients.

According to Lekgathwane, health MEC Magome Masike has made a commitment and urged management to support the few health professionals to provide health services to communities despite the challenges they faced. He said his department has a plan to produce 1 000 nurses per year instead of the current 500 nurses per year. –