Durban - The IFP in KwaZulu-Natal has called on Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zuma to present a detailed plan to address the backlogs in hospitals resulting from the ongoing National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union strike.
Health-care workers embarked on a nationwide strike on Monday demanding a 10% wage increase. Nehawu members blocked entrances to hospitals across the country last week.
In KwaDukuza, striking nurses tried to prevent a sick child being transported by ambulance from entering Stanger Hospital.
In a statement on Saturday, the IFP’s provincial spokesperson on health, Ncamisile Nkwanyana, said the party believed patients booked for operations had been negatively affected by the strike, and had been left to fend for themselves.
“It is incumbent upon MEC Simelane-Zulu to tell the public what plans are in place to ensure that people who have missed their bookings will still be able to get the necessary operations.
“The Nehawu strike has merely worsened the already deteriorating KZN health system, which is in dire need of an overhaul,” she said.
Nkwanyana said that, while the IFP recognised the right of workers to strike, it was concerned about the many patients who had allegedly been denied access to medical care.
She said the right to strike should not infringe on the right to health.
“We urge the police to play an active role and to ensure that those illegally blocking access to medical facilities are arrested,” said Nkwanyana.
KZN Health Department spokesperson Mdu Ncalane said the weekend had been relatively quiet in terms of protest action.
He said the department would look at ways to address the hospital backlog should the strike continue this week.
Speaking during the department's multimedia platform “KwaZulu-Natal Health Chat” on Friday, Simelane-Zulu encouraged patients to register to collect their chronic medicines from nearby community facilities such as halls, traditional courts, churches, libraries, and Thusong centres under the programme dubbed “Ikhemisi Eduze Nawe”, or central chronic medicines dispensing and distribution, during and after strike action, in order to avoid defaulting on taking their medicine during this period.
Speaking during the same event, the head of the provincial Department of Health, Dr Sandile Tshabalala, appealed for grieving families to bear with the department in cases where post-mortems were delayed.
“We are faced with an extraordinary situation, and are trying by all means to expedite the completion of post-mortems. However, due to current circumstances, there may be instances where we will move bodies from one facility to others nearby.
“We are appealing to families who have lost their loved ones to understand that that would be part of our way of assisting them to get mortal human remains of their loved ones as soon as possible,” Dr Tshabalala said.