EASTERN CAPE - OFFICIALS ALLEGEDLY TRYING TO FORCE HEALTHCARE WORKERS TO WORK WHILE WAITING FOR THEIR CORONAVIRUS TEST RESULTS

The Eastern Cape Department of Health says it will continue to work with healthcare unions in the province to better ensure the safety of staff at health facilities.

This after the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (DENOSA) says officials in the Eastern Cape are attempting to force some healthcare workers to come to work as they await their coronavirus test results.

DENOSA says the workers are unsure if they have the virus or not and this could endanger the lives of patients they treat.

DENOSA says as of last week, at least 587 healthcare workers in the province tested positive for the virus and at least 14 have died from COVID-19 related complications.

DENOSA provincial secretary Khaya Sodidi says they are working with the provincial department but if no action is taken soon they will approach President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene.

Department HOD Dr Thobile Mbengashe says they have already begun addressing all the challenges in the sector.

“This is really the time to resolve all the problems of the poor infrastructure in healthcare services and we are now being allowed to move very fast with many areas. We looked for 1000 unemployed nurses and we have appointed those right now, they are in the system. We are going to put another 5000 community health workers to assist with the tracing, we put out an advert that says all doctors that are not employed, come we will take you over. There has been training and that is ongoing. We are now providing this additional training of psychological support.”

via - SABC