​Thembisa Shologu
The Gauteng Department of Health, in partnership with the Foundation for Professional Development, hosted the 5th African Nursing Conference to advance healthcare across the continent.
The two-day event aimed to explore nurses' critical role in driving health equity, from implementing innovative practices to strengthening responses to pressing health challenges.
This also included examining strategies to bridge the gaps between public and private healthcare, enhance inclusivity, and ensure that systems are equipped to respond to evolving crises.
The conference theme was "Empowering Nurses as Catalysts for Health Equity."
Addressing the conference at Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Ekurhuleni, MEC for Health and Wellness Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko said nurses are the centre of every health system.
"It is timely and powerful. Nurses are in hospitals, clinics, mobile units, homes, communities, correctional services, or the defence force. Nurses are the face and the heartbeat of care.
"You are often the first to comfort and the last to let go. You work long hours, listen, lead, heal, and most importantly, serve with knowledge, skill and heart.
"Yet for too long, nursing has been seen as the backbone of healthcare, but not its brain or voice, that must change, and I believe it is changing because of nurses like you," said MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko.
Nkomo-Ralehoko commended the Foundation and all other partners for creating a platform that did not just talk about nurses but listened to them.
She said the conference was more than just a meeting; it was meant to reaffirm nurses' leadership role in the health system.
"To our nurses in the private sector, you bring excellence, structure, and insight, but please do not keep your knowledge locked in. We invite you to partner with us in the public space, walk with us, understand our challenges, and help us reimagine new ways of delivering care. You can also learn a lot from us in the public sector.
"To our public sector nurses; you remain the soul of our health system. You face difficult conditions, limited resources, high demand, but still, you serve with courage, commitment, and dignity. We see you; we value you and will continue to support you," she said.
Dr William Malibati highlighted practices to strengthen the responses to pressing healthcare changes in the public sector.
Dr Malibati said that, as established by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Framework (IPCAF) was subsequently adopted by the National Department of Health (NDoH) for implementation in all health facilities nationwide.
"The National Department of Health's Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) participated in the adoption and implementation of IPCAF, demonstrating a commitment to improve the quality of patient care and safety. IPC plays a crucial role in healthcare service delivery by preventing avoidable infections from harming patients, visitors and health workers.
"However, it faces significant disregard and neglect. It aims to evaluate the extent to which healthcare facilities in Gauteng have implemented the IPC strategic framework in a way that improves the standard of compliance," said Malibati.
Dr Geraldine Timothy, Head of Quality of Care at Discovery SA, said nurses were the bridges where there was a gap.
"There's so much available from the digital announcement perspective, including AI, personalised health pathways, and data in predicting health care, focusing on the people that need it.
"The use of nudging everyone regarding the right behaviours, accessing healthcare when needed and how nurses can play a critical role in enhancing all of these. Having technology is one thing, but having human interaction to bridge this gap is also as important," said Dr Timothy.