Durban — KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has urged striking health-care workers to stop blocking access to health care.
Simelane made the call on day 3 of the strike where health-care workers are demanding a 10% wage increase after the government tabled a 3% increase.
“Allow health-care workers to get work so they can save lives; and do not stop patients from coming into our health facilities because if you continue to do so, you will have blood on your hands,” Simelane said.
The strike has disrupted the functioning of a number of hospitals, community health centres and clinics in the province.
Simelane said the workers’ demands fell outside of the jurisdiction of the provincial government.
“It becomes very difficult to negotiate in our different corners on matters that are on a national level, and at the level of the bargaining chamber,” Simelane said.
“We expected that the leadership of the unions would understand that the majority of health-care workers are classified under essential services, and therefore, they cannot not be at work. But it becomes even worse when you have health workers who are stopping patients from accessing health-care services.
“These are people who swore under oath not to hinder people’s access to health-care, which is an inalienable human right. We, therefore, call upon leaders of organised labour to desist from these actions,” Simelane continued.
Simelane thanked staff who had worked extraordinarily long shifts during the strike, including those who could not go home due to blockages.
The MEC said the department was closely monitoring the situation and would continue to implement contingency measures to mitigate the impact of the strike, including the continued provision of health care and catering services.
Earlier on Wednesday, an ambulance and crew transporting a critical child were allegedly attacked by striking nurses at a KwaZulu-Natal hospital.
IPSS Medical Rescue managing director Dylan Meyrick said that while transporting a critical child, under the care of IPSS Medical Advanced Life Support to Stanger Hospital, their ambulance was attacked by striking nurses at the entrance of the hospital.
“Nurses attempted to forcefully remove the young patient from our ambulance, but thankfully the crew managed to get through to the casualty with the patient,” Meyrick said.
“The critical child is safe and being attended to at the hospital.”
Meyrick said that the crew was then prevented from leaving.
“Thank you to local security and KDM (KwaDukuza Municipality) peace officers, after some time our crews were out safely, although one member was assaulted but with no serious injuries,” Meyrick said.
Since the start of the week, there have been wage increase protests in various health-care facilities in KwaZulu-Natal.
It is believed that the protests intensified on Tuesday as patients were left stranded as health-care workers demanded a 10% salary increase.
The Nehawu strike happened simultaneously at various hospitals across the country. Health-care workers at Greys’ Hospital in Pietermaritzburg feared for their lives as the strike turned violent.
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