Nurses in Durban have labelled the recruitment process at the brand new Doctor Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Memorial Hospital, as flawed.
Thousands of registered nurses turned up for assessments tests as part of finalising the recruitment process needed for the hospital to open.
The overwhelming numbers led to a stampede with a few sustaining minor injuries.
Nurse Nduduzo Khanyile has labelled the gathering a super spreader in light of rising COVID-19 numbers.
Khanyile says that the department has failed the people who had gathered at the hospital.
Nurse Phumelele Zondi says she had not expected the large numbers.
“I was afraid of all the people. I can’t believe my eyes and didn’t expect so many people to be called and I was afraid to fall when the queues were pushing.”
Nurses also questioned the assessment process on the day.
In a statement, the KwaZulu-Natal Health Department says that the vast majority of those who were in attendance were not formally invited, saying that they had only accepted 250 nursing candidates to write the assessment test.
This regional hospital is expected to provide much needed specialist services to patients referred to it by neighbouring lower-level healthcare facilities.
