Pretoria - South Africa will only reach the status of an HIV/Aids-free country by 2030 if nurses continued to play their meaningful role in the society.
This was said by the Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday at the occasion to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) since its launch at the Union Buildings.
Nurses affiliated to Denosa came from all the nine provinces to mark the anniversary of their union.
The event was also used to commemorate the life of the late state president Nelson Mandela, who launched the organisation in 1996 at the venue.
Ramaphosa told the nurses that they were expected to be the ointment and bandages to heal the country.
He said it was the aspirations of government to build an HIV/Aids-free society and that nurses were part and parcel of the mandate.
Ramaphosa used the opportunity to encourage to those who were engaging in sexual activities to use condoms. "We encourage men to circumcise, but also to use condoms," he said.
He remarked that Denosa had achieved many victories and among them was when they won a fight to have uniform allowances.
Nurses should play a critical in the lives of the people because they are expected to serve them with integrity at all times, he said.
Cosatu president S'dumo Dlamini said nurses should smile even if it was painful to do their work. "Our task is to serve the nation," he said.
Thembeka Gwagwa, founding general secretary, said Denosa prided itself on upholding the principles and values of good nursing practice.
The organisation was also affiliated to the international council of nurses.
Simphiwe Gada, chairman of Denosa in Gauteng, said the nurses were not just the backbone of the healthcare system, but also its heartbeat.
"It is not many unions who are able to survive so many years and celebrate their existence,"he said.
Pretoria News