Personnel down tools at Shiluvana Hospital
A group of more than 50 workers, including nurses, protested outside the Shiluvana Hospital's premises outside Tzaneen
TZANEEN – A group of more than 50 workers, including nurses, protested outside the Shiluvana Hospital’s premises outside Tzaneen on Friday.
The angry employees said they embarked on the protest to put pressure on hospital management to lift the suspension of the hospital’s assistant occupational therapist, Manana Nkuna, who was also the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) secretary at the hospital.
Nkuna was reportedly suspended last Thursday for allegedly leaking information to the media about the poor conditions at the hospital.
Speaking on behalf of the protestors, transformation task team coordinator Samuel Shiluvana said the protesting employees spent the night in front of the hospital’s gate, and vowed not to leave until Nkuna’s suspension was lifted.
He said conditions at the hospital left much to be desired and the task team was in discussions about the matter with the department of social development.
He said the task team wanted the department to take over the management of the hospital, which is currently run by a private company.
He said the private company had failed to run the institution properly.
Shiluvana said some six weeks ago, residents of Shiluvana village had protested outside the hospital and demanded a meeting with the department.
Social development spokesperson, Adéle van der Linde, said the department was aware of the situation and would meet with residents and hospital management soon.
