JOHANNESBURG – Some nursing students protested at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital’s nursing college over placements, following the completion of their nursing programme.
The Gauteng Health Department said their academic programme was ending this month and the students would not be placed at any medical facility until writing an exam in November.
While the students were not against taking the exam, the department said they were demanding that they receive a stipend until then, which it argued it could not afford.
The department said these allowances would cost over R8 million to cover at least 167 students who are about to complete their final year.
It said not only would this be regarded as irregular expenditure, but it would also set a precedent for the rest of the nursing students.
The department said the agreement was only to fund the students’ academic programme.
MEDIA STATEMENT || GAUTENG HEALTH ADDRESSES THE MISINTERPRETATION OF FACTS BY R171 NURSING STUDENTS pic.twitter.com/mN6qjVWPRP
‘ Gauteng Health (@GautengHealth) May 24, 2023