397 KZN nurses lost their battle to Covid-19
Three hundred and ninety-seven nurses have succumbed to Covid-19 in KwaZulu-Natal since the pandemic hit our shores over a year ago.
Health MEC, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu, has paid tribute to them today on International Nurses Day.
She's also praised those still working on the frontline - saying without their courage and generosity of spirit, the province wouldn't have managed to save as many lives as it did during the past two waves of the virus.
She says at least 17 000 nurses in the province have been infected with COVID-19.
READ: More than 400 000 healthcare workers now vaccinated in SA
"It certainly can't be easy knowing that in spite of taking precaution, you might still get infected with Covid-19 and knowing that you might not survive is certainly not child's play.
"And yet our nurses have done it. They have made sure their patients are well taken care of and they have made sure our patients are able to go back home."
This year's theme, as set by the International Council of Nurses, is 'Nurses: A Voice to Lead - A vision for future healthcare.'
