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Gauteng is faced with a shortage of about 2 700 intensive care unit (ICU) nurses, since training of these health workers has been discontinued in 2020.
This was revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko during her reply to the provincial legislature on Tuesday.
The MEC said the shortage was as a result of the old programme of the post, which had been discontinued as the new programmes that were aligned with the higher education qualification sub-framework were to be implemented.
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Nkomo-Ralehoko said hospitals were meant to have 3 340 ICU nurses, but there were only 659 who were currently working and no new nurse was trained since 2019.
She said:
Gauteng Shadow Health MEC Jack Bloom said it was unbelievable that red tape and incompetence halted nurse training.
He said the private health sector could train many more nurses but they were limited by the SA Nursing Council (SANC).
“Rapid expansion of nurse training in both private and public sectors is needed to counter the massive shortage of specialised nurses,” he said.
The Gauteng health department said it was prioritising the filling of ICU nursing posts to address the shortage in the province.
Nkomo-Ralehoko said the department was currently increasing the number together with augmenting nurses in other specialities using the 317 vacant professional nurse grade 1 posts.
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She said to further address the training of ICU nurses, the department had applied for accreditation for the higher education qualification sub-framework-aligned programme in a critical nursing post graduate diploma.
“This was accredited by the SANC and we are currently awaiting approval from the council for higher education. Covid-19 also took a toll on the profession since its outbreak in 2020 and has served as a reminder of the critical role nurses play in the health sector,” she said.
“Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare sector and make up the largest group of healthcare providers in the province and country. They offer a comprehensive service package in preventing diseases, promoting health and curing diseases. Therefore, staff shortages in the nursing profession impact directly and negatively on the delivery of quality healthcare services of patients.”
