The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) has criticised Eastern Cape authorities for the way they are treating healthcare workers who are complaining about a lack of personal protective equipment.
Health workers at various hospitals in the province have been protesting over their safety over the past few weeks.
In this video, healthcare workers in the Eastern Cape protest over the lack of PPEs
At the Dutywa and Willowvale health centres, nurses accuse their employer of forcing them to work despite their colleague testing positive for COVID-19.
“What is dismaying, which as DENOSA we are not accepting, is that when nurses are expected to get quarantined as per the regulations, we get difficulties from the management to let our nurses to be quarantined. They get threats and insults from the management instead of getting the support they need. Because remember this is the time that the nurses need more support from the employer of which it is the Department of Health in this case. But it is not the case as it is supposed to be,” says DENOSA Provincial Chairperson Sivuyile Mange.
Eastern Cape Health Departmen head, Thobile Mbengashe, says they are managing the situation.
“Not everyone will be accorded all the PPEs. We also cannot close an institution because someone in a certain section contracted the virus. We cannot put everyone on quarantine because someone in a certain section tested positive,” says Mbengashe.
In this video, healthcare workers in Port Elizabeth protest over the shortage of PPEs
