Healthcare workers in Mpumalanga hospital down tools over COVID-19 fears

Healthcare workers at the Majuba Memorial Hospital in Volksrust, Mpumalanga, have abandoned hospital wards after a senior manager allegedly tested positive for COVID-19.

According to health workers, the hospital management informed labour unions and confirmed that staff members will be notified on Monday.

Nurses are calling for the hospital to shutdown and that all patients be removed with immediate effect.

Speaking to the SABC News under condition of anonymity, one nurse says: “Why are they fumigating the hospital with patients and employees inside, what is their proper protocol to fumigating when the identified positive case of COVID- 19 is inside the facility? Management is failing us. Last week Shoprite was closed. There was a senior person in the position who tested positive –  nobody informed us and there was nothing done to us as staff to test us.

This as the number of COVID-19 related deaths has risen by seven in South Africa, taking the country’s death toll to 123, while more than 6 000 infections have been confirmed.

Government has expressed relief over the increase in the number of recovered COVID-19 patients, which now stands at 2 549.