Soldiers, volunteers and private hospitals have stepped in to help public-health facilities crippled by the public-service pay strike which started on Friday.
Uniformed army medics were on duty from 8am on Sunday in wards at the King Edward VIII hospital in Durban. It was forced to close its intensive care unit after the skeleton staff was verbally abused.
As a result, a critically-ill one-month-old infant had to be airlifted, in an incubator, to another hospital.
Overnight, patients’ families stood in for nurses and orderlies.
The hospital also tried to recruit University of KwaZulu-Natal medical school students, but they were busy writing exams, said hospital manager Mboneni Bhekiswayo.
There were only 100 patients left in the 922 bed-facility on Sunday and the hospital was battling to find private hospitals with enough space.
Bhekiswayo said an outside catering firm was providing food as the hospital’s kitchens had been closed.
Congress of South Africa Trade Unions first deputy president Sdumo Dlamini said the situation at the hospital was ”not in the plan” and a delegation had been sent to monitor the problems.
Gauteng Health Department spokesperson Zanele Mngadi said the maternity and casualty sections of Kalafong Hospital in Pretoria had been closed because of staff shortages.
Patients would taken to the nearest hospital for treatment, even if it was a private hospital, he said.
Volunteers were helping with the cleaning of hospitals and a private service had agreed to wash linen.
The Netcare Hospital Group said it had taken in about 30 patients throughout the country under an agreement with the Health Department that no patient be compromised.
Netcare 911 spokesperson Nick Dolman said the service was obliged to attend to all injured people.
However, rescue workers were having to travel further than anticipated to find hospitals willing to accept patients without medical aids, which was interrupting available ambulance services.
”We have been crippled,” a health worker at a Johannesburg hospital said on condition of anonymity.
”There are about 50% of nurses on duty and the [SA National Defence Force] is here to provide medical personnel.
”A private security company is ensuring the safety of our staff.”
She said visiting hours on Saturday were cancelled after nurses were intimidated.
”We are all scared. I’m sure you can understand.”
Public-service workers — including nurses — went on strike on Friday demanding a 12% pay hike. The have rejected a 6% offer by the government.
Ultimatum
Meanwhile, nurses must be back at work or the Department of Health will fire them.
”If they are not at their workplace [by Monday], then we will be instituting a process of terminating their services,” national director general of health Thamsanqa Dennis Mseleku told a press conference in Durban on Sunday.
He said the department was preparing a communiqu̩ on the ultimatum that would be at all hospitals by 10am and handed to trade union bosses. РSapa