16 May 2022

KZN Department of Health would like to state categorically that the circulating pictures of Maroon Uniform for Nurses are not known to the Department and therefore not part of the approved uniform list for the staff.

The pictures and the captions attached to it are fake and being circulated with a malicious intent to create confusion about the MEC's announcement on the New Uniform for Nurses, made during her Budget Vote Speech on the 10 of May 2022.

The announcement merely made mention of a declaration by the National Department of Health to standardize uniform for our Nurses to be Maroom and White. The statement as read on the day of the Budget Speech further clarified that "The National Department of Health is still finalizing specifications however as a Province we have started implementing and have directed that the uniform at the new Dr Pixley ka Isaka Seme Memorial Hospital must be Maroon and White".

The Department is concerned that this announcement is now being taken out of context and interpreted in many ways that seek to cause an unnecessary hype. As things stand, all provinces are still awaiting finalization of the *Specification* by the National Department of Health and therefore not even the pattern of the uniform exists yet.

The Department wishes to distance itself from this fracas and reiterate that communication on this issue will be through the correct official processes and platforms.