When the Covid-19 pandemic reached its peak, hospitals were in high demand for nursing and other healthcare professionals.
Over the past few years, South Africa has been facing a nursing shortage in the healthcare sector.
“The country has an estimated shortage of between 26,000 and 62,000 nurses, and a large number are expected to retire by 2030,” said Netcare CEO Richard Friedland.
South Africa’s hospital network, Life Healthcare, has warned that the nursing shortage threatens both the public and private sectors.
In an interview, Health Minister Dr. Joe Phaahla announced:
Public hospitals are short-staffed and it will require nearly a billion rand to address the crisis.
According to Phaahla, the department has also approached National Treasury to be able to receive financial assistance.
This financial assistance will make sure that the Department of Health is able to meet the basic needs of nurses, excluding other healthcare professionals.
Some nursing students held demonstrations at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital's nursing college over placements.
The Health and Allied Workers Indaba Trade Union insisted that the students’ demands were justifiable.
The Gauteng Health Department said their academic programme was coming to an end this month and the students would not be placed at any medical facility until the writing of an exam in November 2023.
Although the nursing students are not against taking this exam, the department pointed out that they were demanding that they receive a stipend until then, which it argued it could not afford.
What’s Causing Nursing Shortages In South Africa?
The nursing shortage in South Africa can be attributed to various factors, such as inadequate training outputs, limited capacity in nursing schools, failure to fill vacant positions, an aging workforce, poor working conditions, and also the Covid-19 outbreak.
Addressing nursing shortages in the country will require a coordinated approach from the government, civil society, and the private sector.
