The Nurses Union has threatened to take the government to court if they effect a statement in which the Assistant Minister of Health was warning the government will dismiss nurses who return patients at hospitals on grounds that there are no drugs and medication.
Last week, the Assistant Minister of Health, Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri, threatened that the ministry will dismiss those who return patients from hospitals on grounds that there are no drugs and medication.
Botswana Nurses Union Secretary General, Ruth Mokgethi, said in an interview that it is not the first time that the ministry has made such statements.
Mokgethi said they are not in a position to take any action against the empty threats that were made by the assistant minister. She said that they will approach the courts if that statement was put into effect.
Mokgethi also said nurses should not be held accountable for shortage of drugs and medication. She said that they have long raised the issues of drug and medication shortage but the government seems to try to turn a blind eye on such issues.
Mokgethi threatened to take the government to court if they effect a statement in which the Assistant Minister of Health was warning that he will dismiss nurses who return patients at hospitals on grounds that they are no drugs.
┬á“Let them effect it and we will take it from there. The nurses should not be expected to be running around looking for drugs and medication in other facilities while they have patients that they need to attend to. They never listen to us and they only listen when the public is complaining about this drugs and medication crisis in hospitals. The issue of drugs and medication is a tip of an iceberg. There are more critical issues that we have presented to the Permanent Secretary but they look at us as if we are fighting them,” added Mokgethi. ┬á
