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The Mercury reports that the Public Servants Association (PSA) has raised concerns about the large-scale loss of nurses leaving the profession or emigrating to foreign countries in search of lucrative salaries and better opportunities.
“Government should urgently invest in skills development and better salaries for nurses to foster the retention of nurses,” the trade union said. It added that there seemed to be an increase in nurses leaving SA for jobs in Canada, Germany and Ireland based on improved opportunities. “The shortage of nurses across the world creates gaps in the health environment, with more attractive places across the world for nurses to work in. Nurses are forced to look for greener pastures owing to poor leadership in the nursing fraternity, poor and unsafe working conditions, in adequate uniforms, low salaries, as well as a lack of training and development opportunities,” the PSA argued. It said government must address the crisis in the health sector, especially in the nursing profession, and added: “With almost 20,000 nurses being lost to foreign countries offering better opportunities, the government needs to restore primary healthcare in South Africa, especially in view of the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme. Immediate interventions are required to retain nurses to avoid the exodus crisis and ensure continued service delivery to communities.”
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Yogashen Pillay at The Mercury
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