Deputy Speaker, the ANC welcomes the launch of the Retired Nurses' Forum to retain the skills of retired nurses within the health system. At the beginning of 2008, the Department of Health began returning retired nurses to the profession. The retired nurses are assisting in maternity wards and clinics.
This forum will be responsible for guiding and mentoring young nurses. Approximately 480 retired nurses are already working in the provinces' primary health care clinics and hospitals.
Nurses are the backbone of our health care system. Therefore the ANC-led government will find new and inventive ways of training more nurses to support the present workforce, and to prepare for the Fifa World Cup and beyond. The initiative is part and parcel of the ANC government's strategy to improve quality standards for both public and private sectors. This initiative will include specific targets for the provision of adequate numbers of workers at all levels of the health care system, including recruitment, training and filling of vacant posts. Thank you. [Applause.]