Labour court interdict sees striking nurses return to work

KwaDukuza’s General Justice Gizenga Mpanza (GJGM) Hospital nurses returned to work on Tuesday after an interdict was granted by the Labour Appeal Court on Monday.

The seven-day national strike by nurses severely impacted health services, with dire consequences for patients needing urgent treatment.

One such incident on the local front involved a 13-year-old Ballito teen whose admission to the GJGM Hospital was initially blocked last Wednesday.

IPSS Medical Rescue last week reported their ambulance transporting Miguel Marais was set upon by protesting National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) nurses who blocked the entrance to the state hospital, allegedly assaulting one of their staff.

Marais required urgent treatment after he had developed sepsis after injuring his leg in a skating fall.

Provincial Saps spokesperson, Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, confirmed KwaDukuza police were investigating charges of assault and malicious damage to property.

Nehawu secretary, Sandile Ntazi, claimed nurses were being intimidated to return to work and that protesters were only stopping the ambulance to check whether hospital staff were being smuggled inside.

Given the state of affairs at the hospital, friends and residents rallied to raise funds to enable Miguel’s transfer to Alberlito Hospital for surgery.

His father Adriaan said surgeons had operated on his son’s leg last Thursday and managed to clean out the sepsis.

By Friday Miguel was recovering well, but things took a turn for the worst over the weekend.

“Things aren’t going well. His lungs are in a bad state,” Adriaan said after receiving the results of a CT scan on Monday.

Alberlito doctors may send Miguel to a child lung specialist at Albert Luthuli Hospital in Durban.

Acknowledging that services had been disrupted and that workers and patients were intimidated at GJGM Hospital, provincial health MEC Nomagugu Simelane on Sunday said health workers were prohibited from striking.

The health department’s human resources chief director, Nozipho Mthembu, said participating nurses would not be paid because the strike was illegal.

“Those who were willing to come to work but were blocked by protesters ought to have communicated with their immediate supervisors so as to be exonerated.”

During the nationwide strike Nehawu demanded a wage increase of 10% as opposed to government’s proposed 3%. Union members also demanded a housing subsidy.

Health minister Joe Phaahla reported that four people had died as a result of the strike, but on Monday said the figure had increased but the number of cases were still being verified for accuracy sake.

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