Gauteng Health Department now says nursing students’ academic year will be delayed
Responding to reports last week that only privately funded first-year students would be accepted at nursing colleges in Gauteng, the provincial Health Department now says there will be an intake of new state-funded students at three nursing colleges this year, but that their academic year will be delayed. However, on Tuesday, department spokesperson Lesemang Matuka said the decision was not final, but was an update of the situation at the time. "At the time, I said the department could not afford R57m needed for nurses in the first year. But I stated that the decision [on this] had not been taken‚" Matuka told TimesLIVE. "The question that was asked was whether the financial problems could have an effect on the funding of nurses. My answer was that‚ yes‚ the department at the present moment is under financial strain and it cannot afford that amount. At that time, the MEC had not made a decision on this." It was reported last week that‚ despite a shortage of nurses‚ 700 nursing candi...
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