Diepkloof nurses celebrate legacy and call for reform on Nurses’ Day
Retired and young nurses gathered in Diepkloof Hall to honour Nurses’ Day under the theme “Our Nurses. Our Future.” The event celebrated the vital role of nurses while highlighting the urgent challenges facing the healthcare system, from staff shortages to failing infrastructure.
Retired nurses from Diepkloof and the surrounding areas gathered in the Diepkloof Hall to celebrate Nurses’ Day on May 14.
With this year’s theme of Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for Nurses strengthens economies, young nurses in the area were encouraged to continue prioritising the health of communities and remain the backbone of the healthcare system.
General secretary for the Health and Allied Workers Trade Union, Lerato Mthunzi, said they were celebrating young and old nurses who looked after patients and communities.
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She added that the three biggest challenges they presently faced were a shortage of human and material resources and dilapidated infrastructure.
“You find a ward that used to be looked after by six nurses now has only two people, which also impacts the quality of care we give. We struggle with our material.
“You find that we even struggle to diagnose the same conditions we should be diagnosing. It’s worse when you can’t give patients something to make them feel better.
“We are in a state in our country where we struggle to ensure health facilities respect the people we treat. Patients come with non-life-threatening conditions and leave with severe ones because of infections, and this is sad to witness,” Mthunzi said.
She added that health was not a commodity but a need, and they needed nurses who put the lives of their patients first and prioritised serving communities.
“Given the circumstances under which they work, we have the best nurses in the world. We have trained the best nurses in our country.
“All we have to do is understand that they are going through a lot and some of them direct their anger to the wrong people – patients -which is what we do not need. We need nurses able to go to the streets and fight for patients’ rights, not abuse patients.
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“Flora Kuype, a retired nurse who founded the Aretsebaneng Nurses Club in 2012, took the publication through the meaning of the Nurses’ Pledge of Service and the candle they lit in the hall representing the founder of modern nurses and the lady with the lamp, Florence Nightingale, carried during the war while caring for wounded soldiers.“
This candle represents the light we ask God to give us to carry out this profession because the people we look after are not only our patients, but God’s people.
“Today, we have various clubs from different areas, and we are glad they joined us. We also get to know each other and be there for each other,” Kuypers said.
With over 41 years of experience in this field, Kuypers encourages young nurses to stand their beliefs and never let anyone dim their light or passion for the profession.
