The future of Community Health Workers in Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape, remains uncertain as they remain on a three-month renewable contract without any benefits. These workers are also at the forefront of the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19).
In the video below, almost 800 Eastern Cape healthcare workers have contracted COVID-19:
They are calling on the Department of Health to employ them on a permanent basis.
The issue of Community Health Workers dates back to when clinics were removed under the municipalities to the Department of Health.
Since then, it has been a struggle for them to be given permanent posts.
Some Community Health Workers have been working for the Department of Health for more than 14 years, but only on a contract basis, earning a R3 500 monthly stipend, without any benefits such as medical aid and Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
Some say they have applied for jobs advertised within the department, but outsiders are preferred over them.
The Community Health Workers are responsible for screening and tracing contacts, including patients who default on their treatment of TB or HIV.
Those who spoke anonymously say they can’t survive on the stipend they are receiving from the department.
“Some of us we have children. We have to support our families and we depend on this stipend to pay our policies and it’s not enough,” one of the workers said.
“They promise us they will start with us as we are the people that are already working inside the clinic, but those things are not happening. Even when they take the cleaners, they didn’t start with us. I don’t think when you need to be a cleaner. You need matric,” another worker said.
In the video below, Dr Zweli Mkhize calls on healthcare workers not to lose hope in the fight against COVID-19:
Labour unions want Community Health Workers to be absorbed under Level 5 entry level due to their experience.
Federation of trade unions, SAFTU, wants the Public Service’s Personal and Salary System (PERSAL) relating to Community Health Workers scrapped. The federation’s Regional Secretary Mzikazi Nkata says the PERSAL is causing problems for the workers.
“This PERSAL also disadvantage them in a lot of things. For instance, they can’t get RDP houses. They can’t get social grants; they can’t even apply for NSFAS for their kids because when they go and do these applications, in the system it appears they work for the Department of Health, so you do not qualify.”
The Department of Health says the permanent employment of Community Health Workers is still under discussion.
Eastern Cape Health MEC Sindiswa Gomba says they are also deliberating on the age and qualifications of Community Health Workers as some are already over the age of 50.
“The issue of turning or absorbing of community health workers in the department is a national debate. It is not within us. We are always waiting what the national guidelines will say where the national and the unions are debating the matter.”
Close to 28 000 Community Health Workers have been deployed nationally for COVID-19 screening and tracing.
