Women are the driving force in South Africa’s healthcare system, tirelessly serving the people of South Africa.
This is according to Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi who spoke to SAnews on the sidelines of the official opening of the King Nyabela Hospital in Middelburg, Mpumalanga.
READ | New King Nyabela Hospital offers suite of health care services
Speaking as the country marks Women’s Month in August, Motsoaledi noted that women occupy every sphere of the health system.
Women’s Month is celebrated in South Africa to commemorate the 1956 Women’s March, when 20 000 women walked to the Union Buildings in protest against apartheid pass laws.
“In healthcare, women are the backbone of the healthcare system because we’ve got more female nurses than male nurses and I’ve always said that nursing is the backbone of the system.
“Even with the medical personnel too. We do have quite a number of women who are in charge. They are hospital CEOs, hospital medical managers, surgeons, gynaecologists and psychiatrists. So, there’s no difference between men and women when it comes to healthcare,” Motsoaledi explained.
Healthcare workers at the opening of the hospital on Tuesday reflected on the importance of Women’s Month.
“This Women’s Month, I call on women to stand up for themselves and for their children. They must not allow themselves to be distracted. I say forward with women and imbokodo [rock],” Gladys Masina told SAnews.
Another healthcare worker, Meikie Motau, said: “I want to praise all the women of the Department of Health; may they continue to provide lifesaving care”.
At the launch of Women’s Month on 1 August, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga reflected on the impact of the 20 000 women who marched in 1956.
“With every step, they shook the pillars of oppression. With every stride, they redrew the boundaries of possibility. They marched as the authors of our liberation and freedom, the midwives of democracy, the first architects of a more equal South Africa and the custodians of a future they would never fully see but boldly chose to build.
“They became the rhythm of a nation’s progress, echoing through every classroom, every boardroom, every parliament, every marketplace, and every enterprise led by women today.
“And, 70 years later, I see women here today, still walking in the footprints of their courage and the light of their vision. Bearing witness to the message of 1956, firmly affirming that their footsteps did not end at the Union Buildings; they continue to echo through every generation of South African women determined to rise, determined to lead, and determined to empower the nation,” Chikunga said.
South Africa will commemorate National Women’s Day on Sunday. – SAnews.gov.za
