Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla visited the Themba hospital in Kabokweni near White River in Mpumalanga. This follows an alleged attack and harassment of personnel by a group calling itself the Business Forum, two weeks ago.
After these attacks, health workers withdrew their services from the hospital, with operations only resuming again this week. Last week the MEC for Health in Mpumalanga, Sasekani Manzini, met with the health workers’ union to discuss the challenges at Themba Hospital.
The unions decided to halt services at the hospital following safety fears from their members. Allegedly, a group known as the Business Forum attacked and assaulted the health workers.
It is reported the men demanded to be given tenders.
Phaahla expressed his dismay at this behaviour.
“I came here to meet with the MEC and also briefly with the premier to express our support in terms of the interventions necessary to make sure that something like this should never happen again, but also to thank the management and the staff, for the fact that for a few days now. From the weekend, services have started to return back to normal, and we speak today, all the services are back to normal.”
Minister Dr Joe Phaahla conducted an oversight visit @thembahospital to assess the state of health service delivery and also to receive first hand information on the reports of alleged lawlessness that happened in the facility,& resulted in disrupting services. pic.twitter.com/AC38gmULr7
— Mpumalanga Health (@MpuHealth1) April 17, 2024
Amongst other issues, the unions want the minister to address is the staff shortages and infrastructure at the hospital.
“We must be honest, there have been attempts by the provincial government, through the MEC of Health in ensuring that there is a beef up in terms of security until June but we want to expect that from the side of the minister these things are being intensified but over and above that. There must be a system in ensuring that we close all the vacancies that are in the hospital because the creation of these vacancies compromise in terms of provision of services,” Nehawu Provincial Chairperson, Fannie Ngwenyama.
Mpumalanga’s Police Commissioner, Daphney Manamela, says they are hot on the heels of the criminals.
The police are still consolidating evidence because the alleged attackers are linked to other community unrests.
“I must say that we do have a person of interest, that an arrest is imminent but so far we have not arrested the person but we are still looking for him. We know who the person is, who the suspect is and we still have also other cases that are still going to be opened that is going to be the public violence case.”
The Minister of Health has promised to beef up the security at the Themba hospital. Report by Oupa Masilela
