The Department of Health in KZN has assured eThekwini residents that they were prioritised in the employment process and filling of posts at the new Pixley Ka-Isaka Seme Memorial Hospital in KwaMashu.

This comes after a group of disgruntled community members protested outside the hospital yesterday.

Construction of the hospital began in 2015, and it started operating in 2022.

It was alleged that protesters blocked the hospital gates with a truckload of rubble.

“The group, which is known to the department, stopped the truck driver and forced him to off-load rubble in front of the hospital gates. They were demanding that the department employ them at the hospital and that outsourced services be ‘given’ to them,” says Department of Health spokesperson Mdu Ncalane.

The department says it had several meetings with representatives of the group about their grievances, and the department head, Dr Sandile Tshabalala, was dealing with the matter.

“We acknowledge that unemployment is rife and affects the entire country, including the people of Inanda, Ntuzuma, and KwaMashu, where the new hospital is situated.”

“The department has nevertheless, on several occasions and through various media platforms, communicated the recruitment processes that were followed in filling posts at the facility, including the fact that it received more than 500 000 applications, whereas it had just under 1 500 available vacancies.”

According to Ncalane, the department has finalised all the necessary steps in filling all available vacancies.

“As part of the process of employing workers at this hospital, the department ensured that the people of eThekwini received priority, particularly in the filling of labour-intensive and semi-skilled posts.

“The department will continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure stability at the facility,” he adds.