Gift of the Givers to provide PPE to Wentworth Hospital amid threats to down tools

Published Apr 8, 2020

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Durban - Director of Gift of the Givers Imitiaz Sooliman said Wentworth Hospital would be "first in line" among many State hospitals to receive Personal Protective Equipment.

Earlier today staff at the hospital south of Durban, threatened to stop seeing patients unless they were provided with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that include surgical masks.

The Daily News reported the staff, which include nurses and doctors say they are too scared to deal with patients unless they are provided with the necessary equipment to do their jobs.

Mlungisi Ndlovu, provincial manager at the Public Servants Association in KZN said that hospital staff at Wentworth hospital refused to work because they had not been provided with sufficient PPE.

Speaking to eNCA on Wednesday, he said that more than 300 essential service workers are not prepared to screen and treat patients because they cant without PPE.

"We have challenges in Prince Mshiyeni, Estcourt and Wentworth... In KwaZulu-Natal we have a crisis," he said.

Sooliman said they would be providing personal protective equipment to 100 State hospitals nationally this week.

The first hospital will be Wentworth Hospital who will receive 500 N95 masks.

"They will continuously receive stock as the need arises."

The organisation said 500 thousand masks have started arriving on various flights this week.

The other hospitals set to benefit include Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital, Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, King George V Hospital, King Edward VIII Hospital and a public hospital in Stanger.

Sooliman said this was the second phase of the project.

"Many hospitals have already received N95 and surgical masks during the first distribution. We will look at the needs of various hospitals and cater according to the demands."

This week 48 staff members tested positive for covid-19 at St Augustine's Hospital, a private hospital in Glenwood, Durban.

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