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KZN nurses accuse the health department of endangering their lives

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Nurses at the King Edward Hospital in Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal, have accused the department of health of endangering their lives. The health workers say they are being forced to attend to sick patients without being given protective gear.

Mlungisi Ndlovu from the Public Servants Association of South Africa (PSA) says some health workers are forced to screen patients without proper masks.

“Some of our members are forced to screen suspected patients without proper masks. You see the mask that I’m wearing is an N95, it’s proper for health workers to be able to wear it. We have been communicating with the department to say they must make sure that all the PPEs are being supplied.”

Ndlovu says union says workers will be forced to down tools if no immediate action is taken.

“We are saying to the government they must make sure that they communicate, they provide within few hours because you can’t expect them to work. Some of the employees are saying they can’t risk their lives and go and work if there are no PPEs and we agree to say you can’t risk your life.”

The provincial government says it is aware of the shortage of the N95 masks. KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health HOD says that the problem only exists in the province.

“This is not only a challenge that is existing in KwaZulu-Natal; other countries do have this challenge. The embargo that has started in our country is reported by some suppliers that it is giving them difficulty in getting the supply.”

The department says it will invite concerned unions to a teleconference to discuss their grievances.

In the video below, King Edward Hosptal nurses lament the lack of protective gear at the hospital:

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