The shortage of nurses working in the intensive care units (ICU) in Gauteng is of great concern, according to Jack Bloom, the DA’s spokesperson on health, after a written reply to his questions which he posed to Gauteng MEC of health Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko.
Nkomo-Ralehoko revealed that there should be 3 340 ICU nurses based on the number of ICU and high care beds, however, the shortage of medical nurses is sitting at 2 700.
The MEC said there are 317 specialised nurses posts that are vacant because of the shortage of ICU nurses, noting that the training of ICU nurses was discontinued in 2020 because “the old programme of a post basic has been discontinued as new programmes that are aligned with higher education qualification sub-framework are to be implemented”.
“Care nurses is awaited from the Council for Higher Education, and the programme needs to be registered with the SA Qualifications Authority. But only 85 critical care students will be trained annually in the enrolment plan approved by the SA Nursing Council (SANC),” said Nkomo-Ralehoko in her reply to Bloom.
Bloom said: “It is unbelievable that nurse training is halted by red tape and incompetence. Many patients die because they don’t get proper care in understaffed ICUs.
“The waiting lists for operations get longer because ICU care is required after major surgery. Meanwhile, the private health sector can train many more nurses but they are limited by the SANC.”
Bloom said the DA is pushing parliament to lift irrational restrictions on nurse training, and the expedited approval of training programmes.
“Rapid expansion of nurse training in both private and public sectors is needed to counter the massive shortage of specialised nurses,” said Bloom.
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