Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
13 May 2025 | 08:18 CAT

As South Africa marks International Nurses Day, concerns mount over safety, burnout, and staffing shortages in the country’s healthcare system.

As South Africa joins the world in commemorating International Nurses Day, the spotlight has again been cast on the critical — yet often dangerous — role nurses play in the country’s strained public healthcare system.

The Department of Health has sounded the alarm on the urgent need to safeguard healthcare workers, with spokesperson Foster Mohale describing nurses as bearing “the brunt of the dysfunctional public health system.”

Speaking to Radio Islam International, Mohale highlighted the relentless pressure faced by nurses, saying, “Challenges include workloads, stress, burnout, and violence — both verbal and physical — from patients and community members.”

The Department has expressed deep concern over recent attacks on healthcare workers. “There was an incident in Limpopo where nurses were not only attacked but also sexually assaulted. Similar cases have occurred in the North West and other provinces,” said Mohale.

These incidents expose the growing threat to healthcare workers in spaces that are supposed to be safe for both staff and patients. “Nurses remain victims of crime in facilities meant to protect them,” he stressed.

In response, the Department is calling for a united approach: “We say these issues must come to an end. They can only end if communities work with government and law enforcement. We know these criminal elements at the community level,” Mohale added.

Acknowledging the severe understaffing at public health facilities, the Department recently committed to recruiting an additional 200 nurses. “We are working very hard to address the burnout and long queues. People arrive at clinics as early as 4 a.m. because there simply aren’t enough nurses,” he said.

The 2025 launch of the State of the World’s Nursing Report by the International Council of Nurses comes at a crucial time, as the government vows to improve conditions for healthcare workers.

“The aim is to create a working environment where nurses are motivated, protected and can provide the critical care needed,” concluded Mohale.

As the country honours its nurses, the call is clear: Protect those who care for us.

Listen to the full interview on Your World Today with Mufti Yusuf Moosagie and Foster Mohale here.