The Department of Health in the Western Cape says the taxi stay away and related violence have severely impacted health service delivery in the Cape metro area, with several health services operating at reduced capacity.
Elective surgeries have been postponed at Groote Schuur, Red Cross, and Tygerberg Hospitals because of the shortage of staff.
Chief of Operations Dr. Saadiq Kariem says the taxi strike has unfortunately resulted in the unavailability of public transport for workers, or some did not turn up for safety concerns.
“At Tygerberg, Groote Schuur, and Red Cross hospitals, elective surgeries have unfortunately had to be postponed, and only emergency surgeries will be conducted. Services at community centers and clinics will continue to be available, but with limited facilities. We, unfortunately, had to close the Vanguard Health Centre on Thursday due to the violence. Emergency health facilities will continue to be available; however, access to Red zone areas will only be possible with a law enforcement escort, and this might result in possible delays.”
Western Cape Santaco strike: Atule Joka updates
The George Municipality in the Western Cape says it’s established an internal Joint Operations Centre to manage service delivery during the SANTACO taxi strike. Taxi services ground to a halt in the town yesterday following the strike call, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded.
Municipal spokesperson Chantel Edwards says, “Municipal law enforcement and traffic officers have been deployed alongside saps to monitor the situation. There are no road closures at the moment, and the public is assured that the JOC will continue to meet daily to monitor the situation. Further updates will be provided should there be any changes in the situation.”
