This is according to Free State Health MEC, Motseng Tsiu. Addressing hundreds of Nurses on International Nurses Day, Tsiu said it has become evident that nurses play a vital role in nation-building as they account for more than 50% of the workforce in healthcare. She said it is also for this reason that more needs to be done to support the effort taken by nurses towards the provision of quality health services to communities. Tsiu said the time has come for the needs of nurses to be prioritised, including the provision of all resources needed for the execution of their responsibilities.

"I have come to realise the significance of psycho-social support for our nurses. Constant debriefing sessions are sacrosanct and must become a common practice in our workplace. Occupational Health and Safety are an important part of the employer’s responsibility in order for our nurses to be productive and efficient," she said.

Having served as a nurse herself, Tsiu added that nurses in the province continue to risk their lives amidst the pandemic to serve others and that the "re-engineering of the nursing services is at the center stage" of her department's priorities.

Addressing Nurses in Maluti-A-Phofung, she highlighted "on behalf of the Free State government and the community, I would like to thank all the nursing staff for their unwavering spirit and dedication".

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