By Celani Sikhakhane
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has rejected a call for the Department of Health to send more nurses to rural areas. The aim is that communities can receive a 24-hour health service.
Speaking in uMhlanga, north of Durban, ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo said it didn’t make economic sense to have clinics in rural areas that were open all the time.
The outspoken secretary said those making this call had no clue how the government operates on a limited budget.
“Just imagine in the rural areas of UMhlabuyalingana having a clinic that opened day and night. We know very well that in such remote rural areas it is very rare for people to go to clinics at night,” said Mtolo.
“It is highly unlikely to have people who have been stabbed or involved in situations that force them to go to clinics at night.”
More health workers in rural clinics were requested when it was noted that many of the people in these communities spend long hours in queues with only one or two nurses in attendance.
Unions, NGOs and political parties support the deployment of more health workers in rural areas to give those communities greater access to quality health care.
The KZN Department of Health said that it had already sent more than 300 medics to rural areas but did not divulge if they work night shifts.
Pictured above: ANC Flag
Image source: ANC Siyathemba Facebook page
