Johannesburg - Health employees in South Africa are overworked and exposed to poor and dangerous conditions, while private security companies rake in millions but fail to protect them.
They are being raped, violently attacked and at times nurses are forced to work as porters to move patients to different hospital wards for medical attention.
This was the bleak picture painted by the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu).
On Wednesday, Nehawu announced plans to roll out its nationwide service delivery campaign to highlight the poor conditions its members work under. The union will hold marches and pickets outside government and municipal buildings in various provinces on Friday.
The event is part of the World Federation Trade Union’s campaign for the International Day of Action for Dignified Work.
In Cape Town, Nehawu president Mzwandile Makwayiba will lead a protest march, while his second deputy president, Nyameka Macanda, will be in the Northern Cape to protest.
In Gauteng, Nehawu’s treasurer Kgomotso Makhupola is expected to lead the only demonstration in the province, outside Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.
Nehawu general secretary Bereng Soke told reporters in Joburg that if the situation were not addressed, it would lead to even lower morale among workers.
“There is a very high level of understaffing in the health sector because the department (national) is not adhering to acceptable staffing ratios… This undermines the quality of care given to South Africans. Understaffing… leads to a stressful working environment and demotivates staff, and on a number of levels contributes to poor service by health professionals,” Soke said.
Nurses were in some instances doing up to six jobs because people were not being hired to fill vacant posts.
Detailing the vacancies, Nehawu said the vacant positions were: 15 percent of professional nurses; 14 percent of enrolled nurses; 11 percent of enrolled nursing assistants; 21 percent of medical practitioners; and 9 percent of emergency medical services.
To make matters worse, private security companies were only interested in making a quick buck instead of protecting staff at hospitals and clinics. He alleged that often a guard would work nightshift at one hospital, and then be sent off to work dayshift at another.
“The contracted security company wants to maximise profits and this can be achieved by cutting corners and cutting back on staff. The contracted security personnel mostly earn low wages.”
The Star