SEDIBENG – These were the words of Gauteng MEC of Health during her monitoring visit in different hospitals in Sedibeng recently.
Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko was giving an update on the condition on the damages inflicted by striking Nehawu members in different government facilities across the province.
With some facilities experiencing only picketing, burning tires outside some hospital, facilities such as Sebokeng hospital saw staffers and patients being dragged from the hospital building.
Speaking to Sedibeng Ster on the sidelines, Nkomo explained the purpose of the visit and how the Vaal is mostly hit by the strike.
“We are making sure that we beefing up the team in different hospitals in this region in terms of the services. We are here to ensure and motivate the teams on the ground.
“Sedibeng is the hardest hit, that’s the only region that has been going through hell, if I can use that word. Others are much better. Conditions here have been intense where you find doctors and nurses being taken out of the wards and leaving patients unattended,” she said.
Asked about the circulating videos of pregnant women claiming that they helping each other in labour wards to give birth, Nkomo disputed the claims.
“Those allegations are not true. There is not a single patient who helped another to deliver. I was there when some were delivered by doctors. We are working with other colleagues from other hospitals who helped with such matters,” she said.
Acting HOD at Health, Arnold Malotana said there are contingency plans put in place following the strike action.
“We’ve put contingency plans in place, primarily after the Premier and the MEC met with the leadership of Nehawu just to get the sense of the sustainability of the situation. The poor and the marginalized are dying and this is something we can’t continue with,” he said.
“We have set up a command center to ensure that there is continuous provision of services. We have received a court order that directs the police that no business is interfered with including our staffers who want to work being intimidated,” he said.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Nehawu members vowed to intensify their strike for a 10% wage increase for 2023/2024 as the government stood firm on 3%.
