Denosa slams health department’s recruitment drive

By Lungile Ntimba

There has been mixed reaction to Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s announcement that the government will advertise 1200 jobs for doctors, 200 for nurses and 250 for other healthcare professionals at the cost of R1.78 billion.

While the African National Congress and the Congress SA Trade Unions welcomed the announcement, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA, which is affiliated to Cosatu, expressed deep disappointment about the number of nurses to be recruited.

Denosa spokesperson Sonia Mabunda-Kaziboni said on Friday it was shockingly inadequate and downright insulting to the nursing fraternity.

“The health department has not only failed to respond meaningfully to the dire shortage of nurses across the country, but it has also shown a disturbing lack of shame in publicly announcing the recruitment of a mere 200 nurses, as though it were a breakthrough,” she said.

“This token gesture, coming after repeated calls for urgent and large-scale investment