Randfontein – The Gauteng Health Department has awarded certificates to 270 professional nurses, who have successfully completed their training on Nurse Initiated Management of Antiretroviral Therapy (NIMART).
The nurses are now qualified to initiate ARV treatment and they will be placed at various ARV sites in the province to improve services.
The skills acquired throughout the training will help the department to achieve its vision of producing a skilled, competent, caring and productive health care workforce in Gauteng. It will also help the province and nation to reduce the burden of HIV and TB, as more nurses will now administer ARVs.
Speaking during the certificate awarding ceremony held on Friday at Randfontein Country Club, Dr Derby Cameroon, who is a clinician, said he was happy to see an increase in the number of nurses involved in TB and HIV programmes. He said this was a step in the right direction from the early days of the epidemic.
He commended the nurses for taking the initiative, saying it will help patients and nurses, especially those working in small clinics, to cope with the burden.
“We were struggling [in the 80s] to get qualified nurses working in clinics to administer the treatment. They were coping beyond what they were trained to do and stuck it out in those times,” Cameroon said.
He commended President Jacob Zuma for introducing new guidelines for HIV and Aids in December 2009.
However, he expressed concerned about some nurses, who after acquiring such skills, left the profession as they moved on to senior positions.
“One thing that boils me about nurses is that once there is promotion, they leave their careers and opt to push paper. Dealing with papers is not as satisfying as dealing with patients because paper gets piled up… Stick to clinicians - there is no need to push paper.
“You are being seen as the most dominant people, hence we say the roll out of ARVs should be administered by nurses in order to achieve our goals. I believe in you, we are dependent on you. We are here to say we produce what is expected from us,” he told the nurses.
Nomsa Mmope, the Chief Director of Strategic Health Programmes for the Gauteng Health Department, said they were on track when it comes to HIV, Aids and TB programmes. She said, however, there was a need to better integrate the programmes.
During 2010/11, the province had 77 sites administering ARV treatment. This number has grown to 378 sites, making possible early access to treatment for those who need it. The move also reduced the impact of HIV and Aids on the health system, as well as decreased the number of deaths from TB and Aids-related illnesses.
“Integration is the word… We need to maintain the momentum we have started,” Mmope said.
Noluthando Qibi, one of the graduates who has been in the nursing profession for 20 years and works at Klipspruit West Clinic, said her decision to take part in the training was motivated by not being able to treat patients herself, but instead, she had to give them referrals.
“Our government says that every patient who comes to the clinic and needs ARVs, we must be able to give them. I became interested as a nurse to help people and be part of the programme.
“With more nurses initiating treatment, patients will no longer have to worry about transport fare to get the service. They can now walk and get treatment closer to them because every clinic would be able to initiate treatment,” said Qibi.
She completed her six-month training at the University of Stellenbosch.
She said with ARVs being more accessible to people, the country will see a decrease in the number of Aids-related deaths.
She also challenged all professional nurses to do the training.
“Everybody must be equipped to treat every patient … The more we start treating them early, it will decrease the mortality rate.” – SAnews.gov.za
