DENOSA statement on re-appointment of Aaron Motsoalidi as Minister of Health

2 July 2024

The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) notes and welcomes the re-appointment of Dr Aaron Motsoaledi as the Minister of Health, and we hope for a better relationship and anticipate that he will hit the ground running in implementing the National Health Insurance (NHI) and sorting out the many issues that confront nursing, including the nursing education that produces nursing cadres who are not independent and have limited upward career growth.

As the brain behind the new nursing curriculum that produces nurses under the R171 programme (those who studied for three years to become registered nurses), DENOSA hopes the minister will see the limitations the new nursing curriculum has brought about, which also makes nursing services inaccessible to the communities. The new registered nurse under the new curriculum is not independent as they do not have midwifery, psychiatry and community service, which means they will not be able to take care of expectant women and psychiatric patients if they were the only ones present in their facilities.

Furthermore, the new nursing cadre is at NQF Level 6, including the four-year diploma course, which limits their upwards career growth as the next post-graduate programmes are at NQF Level 8. The only recourse for them at the moment is for them to first study Midwifery so that they could be able to progress and do other post-graduate nursing courses of specialization.

DENOSA hopes the minister will spear-head the speedy implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI), where all human resources are deployed to all healthcare areas of great need.

DENOSA welcomes him and hopes for more positive engagements and relationship in addressing the many healthcare issues in general and nursing in particular, especially in areas around:

- Uniform provision for the nurses in the public sector.

- Low number of nurses that the country’s universities and colleges produce when half the current nursing population will retire in the next 15 years.    

- The non-absorption of the very few nurses that get produced in the public sector.

Issued by Sibongiseni Delihlazo, Spokesperson, DENOSA, 3 July 2024