8 000 nurses apply for 300 jobs

THOUSANDS of job seekers yesterday turned up to apply for the 300 vacant nursing posts advertised by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health.

It is estimated that about 8 000 people gathered at the sports field opposite the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital.

With no incidents reported, the MEC and a nursing union expressed happiness at the way the process unfolded. However, both questioned why private colleges continued to train nurses while it was clear that there are very few employment opportunities available.

Mandla Shabangu, provincial secretary of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA, said the high number of people who showed up indicated that graduates far outstripped the demand.

“Since the Nursing Council allowed private institutions to offer these qualifications we have this situation,” Shabangu said.

The union said it was hopeful that the new board of the Nursing Council which comes into office next month will deal with the issue. The Nursing Council could not be reached for comment yesterday.

KZN Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo said there were about 10 000 unemployed nurses in the province, trained largely by private colleges.

“When we engaged these private nursing colleges, I asked them ‘what plan do you have?’ We went even further to decrease our intake in hospitals, so that we could allow absorption of these nurses. That has not made a significant dent.” | Bheki Mbanjwa