Nehawu worried over rising Covid-19 infections among front-line workers
The union says the main concern is that infection numbers were surging with people coming back into the province from holidays.
Nurses set up new ventilators at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg. Picture: Neil McCartney
The National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) has expressed concern amid an increasing number of front-line workers getting infected by Covid-19.
“At the rate we are going the situation is gradually getting out of hand,” said Clement Marule, Nehawu’s Gauteng coordinator
Marule said the situation could get worse if the government did not give additional resources.
“In ward 20 and 37 in Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital alone we already have 19 workers infected,” said Marule.
“In George Mukhari [hospital], we have 83 frontline workers who are infected. These numbers are as of the middle of December to 4 January.”
Marule said the main concern was that the numbers were surging with people coming back into the province from holidays.
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“We are getting reports that most of our front-line workers are getting infected. This is a concern for us because we are facing a strain by virtue of numbers growing with people coming back from holidays and the number of hospital admissions growing daily.”
When The Citizen asked if there was a capacity to deal with rising of infection rates, Marule said it was yet to be determined.
“At this point we cannot confidently say we have enough capacity. Our worst fear is to get to the point where we do not have enough beds and equipment,” he said.
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