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'Unregistered nurses cause of shortages'

Unsafe working conditions and the failure of the South African Nursing Council to register nurses on time are causing shortages in the nursing profession, the Democratic Nursing Organisation (Denosa) said yesterday.

Unsafe working conditions and the failure of the South African Nursing Council to register nurses on time are causing shortages in the nursing profession, the Democratic Nursing Organisation (Denosa) said yesterday.

Spokesman Asanda Fongqo said the critical failure to register qualified nurses on time did not do the nursing profession "any favours".

"The prevalent gross staff shortages of nurses impacts directly on efficient service delivery in the health sector," Fongqo said.

"The national executive council [NEC] is also very concerned about the unsafe environment in hospitals across the country after the recent shooting and killing of four hospital managers in Seshego.

"We are extremely shocked because hospitals have never been unsafe; so there is a need to strengthen security," he said.

South Africa is not producing enough nurses, resulting in the recruitment of nurses from India, according to NEC research.

"The recruitment of nurses from India or any other country should be a short-term solution.

"South African nurses working abroad are exploited, and we do not want a similar situation happening to nurses from India," he said. - Sapa

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