Workers at Durban hospital protest, want Mkhize to intervene on COVID-19 issues
They claim that about 100 health workers have been infected and want all staff members to be tested.
DURBAN - Health workers at Durban's Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital have been protesting about the COVID-19 issues at the facility.
They claim that about 100 health workers have been infected and want all staff members to be tested.
The health workers said that previous attempts to communicate their concerns with hospital management were ignored and they wanted Health Minister Zweli Mkhize to intervene.
Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital is a referral facility tasked to deal with some of the most severe health cases in the province.
Nahawu’s Ayanda Zulu has threatened court action. @NkoRaphael pic.twitter.com/8O1cV34zOp
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) July 2, 2020
Health workers at Durban’s Chief Albert Luthuli hospital have staged a protest outside the facility. They claim about 100 fellow workers have tested positive for COVID-19 and want all staff members to be tested. @NkoRaphael pic.twitter.com/r8Aodu6RZo
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) July 2, 2020
Nehawu KZN secretary Ayanda Zulu said that they wanted the Health Department to investigate the hospital, claiming that the facility now had the highest prevalence of COVID-19 infections among health workers.
"One of the issues that health workers have been raising is the provision of PPE as well as the issue of the training of workers around the usage of PPE."
Linda Bambeni, one of the nurses at the facility, said that they were working under difficult conditions.
"In the past week, we've been working under a lot of stress. Being short-staffed, we were doing three to four ventilators... that is compromising the patient's care."
The workers have submitted a memorandum of demands to the Health Department.
Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu is expected to respond soon.
