Durban - MORE than 100 health-care workers at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital have tested positive for Covid-19.
The revelation was made on Thursday morning when staff downed tools protesting against Covid-19-related issues at the hospital.
They called for personal protective equipment for all, more staff, a danger allowance, tests for all, and for a nursing manager to be removed.
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) was informed by its shop stewards that
more than 100 hospital workers had tested positive.
Nehawu handed over demands to Health Department deputy director-general Bongani Shezi, giving the department seven days to respond.
Last Thursday, hospital chief executive Dr Thandeka Khanyile told the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature’s health portfolio committee that 42 staff had tested positive for Covid-19.
A day later, the number had increased to 70.
A shop steward said 90 staff had tested positive by Tuesday afternoon and the number stood at more than 100 yesterday.
Nehawu president Mzwandile
Makwayiba said its members were
protesting because they were frustrated by management.
“There’s been a rise in the number of nurses and other workers affected by coronavirus. The problem is testing, the problem is compassion, the problem is management of safety and that management of safety derives from the PPE,” Makwayiba said.
He said whenever someone tested positive, there was an element of secrecy, and the union suspected the number of infected workers could be over 200.
Nehawu provincial secretary Ayanda Zulu said all hospitals with a major outbreak should be investigated.
“We received feedback from shop stewards that more than 100 workers have tested positive, which is now the biggest outbreak in KZN, surpassing St Augustine’s that had slightly more than 80 positive cases,” said Zulu.
The hospital’s Nehawu chairperson Balungile Erasmus said only workers considered high-risk were tested daily.
A nurse questioned how the management had designed protective measures for staff to avoid more infections.
“We are prone to being infected. We are worried and they don’t seem to be doing anything. It’s just lip service for them. They will tell us they are on top of things, but once you start to understand what is going on, we see that there is no commitment from management to make sure that the least amount of staff get infected,” he said.
Health Department spokesperson Noluthando Nkosi said the health MEC and the department were aware of the memorandum.
“The issues raised will be responded to as soon as the memorandum has been read by the MEC,” said Nkosi.