Workers at the clinic said that they were concerned about their safety as there appeared to be no plans to decontaminate or close the facility after a colleague tested positive for the coronavirus.
CONCERNS have been raised after the Ikhutseng Clinic in Warrenton was not closed for decontamination despite a healthcare worker testing positive for Covid-19.
It is reported that the worker, who is asymptomatic, received her test results at work on Tuesday morning after she was tested as part of the clinic’s routine testing process.
Workers at the clinic told the DFA on Tuesday that they were concerned about their safety as there appeared to be no plans to decontaminate or close the facility.
The worker is believed to have participated in a Household Upliftment Programme (HUP), where staff interacted with each other as well as with members of the community.
Because she was asymptomatic, the healthcare worker continued to report for duty until she received her results on Tuesday.
According to the other workers, services at the clinic continued as normal on Tuesday, despite the positive test.
The SA Liberated Public Sector Workers Union (Salipswu) provincial spokesperson, Thapelo Thole, explained that members of the union had been forced to participate in the HUP, which was started two weeks ago by the clinic in Warrenton.
He explained that the union’s members were expected, as part of the programme, to do testing, tracing and referrals of Covid-19 patients.
Thole explained that this meant that the union’s members had come into direct contact with patients.
He also expressed concern that testing of the contacts of the infected healthcare worker had been postponed until Wednesday and had not taken place immediately.
“Our workers should be allowed to stick to home-based care, which was what they signed up for,” Thole added.
He stated that this was the first case that the union was aware of at the Ikhutseng Clinic.
Meanwhile, the Nomimi Mothibi Clinic in Pampierstad, which was closed three weeks ago, has now reopened.
The clinic was closed after 10 Salipswu members tested positive for Covid-19.
Thole said all the members had recovered and the last few reported for duty on Monday.
