Health services at the Christiana District Hospital in the North West are back to normal. The hospital provides a 24-hour service. However, last week nurses refused to work overtime, forcing the facility to operate for only eight hours.
Nurses and health workers had refused to work overtime, demanding to be paid overtime and night shift allowances.
Some patients had to be prematurely discharged, while others were transferred to the Bloemhof Community Health Services, 60 kilometres away.
The protest forced the provincial health authorities to intervene. After a week, a report back was given to workers regarding their demands.
According to MEC for Health, Madoda Sambatha, all their demands have been met.
“In a week’s time, management has been appointed and introduced; in a week’s time payment for overtime over three years has been processed; in a week’s time, assessment of the facility in terms of infrastructure is done. As we speak, today workers are happy.”
The labour relations organiser for the trade union, Hospersa, Mpho Mongane, confirms that all their demands were met.
“There is a big development. The issue of overtime has been addressed. The issue of the standby allowance has been addressed. The issue of probation has been addressed. The issue of appointing senior management has been addressed. Those were the issues that were a concern from our members,” says Mongane.
Another health workers’ union, Denosa, says its members are now back at work.
Deputy Provincial Chairperson, Mziwake Seleke, says, “The latest development has necessarily encouraged them. I can assure that they have agreed to go back to normal services. I can assure you that they have agreed to work overtime. As the major concern was overtime that was not paid and some were delayed.”
Meanwhile, health authorities say a probe has been launched into the premature discharge of patients, which led to some fatalities.
