ABOUT 30 student nurses from various institutions yesterday demonstrated at the health ministry’s head office in Windhoek to call on the minister to address the issue of nursing jobs.
The nurses, who are from the University of Namibia, International University of Management and Welwitchia University, demonstrated under the watchful gaze of the police.
Government last year announced that there were no jobs for most of the student nurses graduating next month because of financial problems.
The group complained that the ministry was discriminating against them by only employing students from government training centres, such as the National Health Training Centre (NHTC), who only have diplomas.
Group spokesperson, Junias Shilunga, showed The Namibian a letter they sent to the health minister last Monday to notify him of the demonstration.
In the letter, the group stated their intention to hand their petition to the ministry at 11h00 yesterday.
The nurses refused to hand over the petition to deputy health minister Juliet Kavetuna, saying they wanted to deal directly with minister Bernard Haufiku.
“It is an insult to us that they sent her while we asked to speak to the health minister,” Shilunga charged.
Haufiku told yesterday that he had received the letter notifying him of the demonstration.
“I am not single-handedly running the ministry,” he said, adding that the group should have handed their petition to Kavetuna.
Haufiku explained that the ministry was busy reorganising to meet World Health Organisation-recommended doctor and nurse to patient ratios, and that the proposed restructuring was submitted to the Prime Minister’s office last year.
“Vacancies are not available at the moment,” the minister emphasised.
One of the demonstrating student nurses, Rose Henghono, said quality nursing care would not be delivered without the proper resources.
“Some patients are sent home because there are not enough nurses,” said Henghono, a Unam student.
Johanna Msati, from Welwitchia University, added that the shortage of nurses was mostly felt by patients who have to suffer the consequences.
