Nurses trade union holds Department of Health responsible for alleged negligence of baby leading to amputation
The union said the department must stop using workers as scapegoats for systematic problems that are created by a lack of oversight and planning on its own side.
The Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union (YNITU) encouraged the parents of the infant whose arm had to be amputated due to alleged negligence to sue the Mpumalanga Department of Health.
The union alleged there was only one professional registered nurse and two junior nurses working with a junior doctor at the casualty ward on the day the little boy was admitted at the hospital.
READ: Premier calls for medical staff to be suspended following baby’s alleged neglect
The union’s president, Lerato Mthunzi, said, “The staffing situation at the neonatal ward where the baby was transferred to following admission was also bad. The junior staff members supposed to work under supervision are thrown in the deep end, while being forced to work alone in crowded wards. “This has proven that taking your child to a public hospital has become dangerous. It is an example of how bad the system is when it comes to taking care of people, because there are not enough workers on the ground. The department must hire more people and stop hiding behind workers who are trying their best despite the pressures they face,” added Mthunzi.
READ : Themba Hospital allegedly neglects patient
“We demand the department to prove the hospital had an adequate number of staff members stationed at the neonatal ward, otherwise no nurse or doctor could be blamed for the incident.
YNITU’s stance on this matter is not meant to diminish the pain and suffering experienced by the family, but to highlight the underlying causes for such disasters in our facilities. We fully support the family and believe they have the right to voice their concerns. However, we want to make it known that the MEC and her dysfunctional department must be the ones to account for this mess,” said Mthunzi.
On Tuesday, Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane called on the suspension of all medical staff involved in the matter.
To this the union said, “We are not surprised the premier is calling for the immediate suspension of medical staff. Government has shown that they would rather throw workers under the bus than admit to the fact that they have failed citizens by failing to ensure hospitals are properly staffed,” concluded Mthunzi.
