The Health and Other Services Personnel Trade Union of SA in the Northern Cape has threatened to embark on rolling mass action and shut down health services if it does not receive a favourable response to its demands within the next 14 days.
THE HEALTH and Other Services Personnel Trade Union of SA (Hospersa) in the Northern Cape has threatened to embark on rolling mass action and shut down health services if it does not receive a favourable response to its demands within the next 14 days.
Union members marched to the office of the MEC for Health in Kimberley on Friday to hand over a memorandum relating to staff shortages and a lack of resources, although the MEC was not available.
Hospersa acting president Gregg Rafferty stated that ambulances were “death traps” and there was a dire shortage of emergency medical services (EMS) staff.
“Staff are expected to work overtime although they are not paid. EMS workers are dying in the line of duty like flies,” said Rafferty.
He added that the three percent annual increase was not a sustainable income.
The memorandum also stated that everyone should have access to high-quality health services without facing financial hardship.
“The South African health-care system faces many challenges that undoubtedly impact on our members’ abilities to deliver effective and efficient services. These include administrative and financial management inefficiencies, low motivation, poor salaries, lack of medical supplies and equipment, poor quality of care, lack of accountability of public administrators, ageing and poor infrastructures, unfilled critical vacant posts, inadequate or no occupational health and safety and the list goes on.”
“Our health-care providers want to deliver the best possible care to their customers/patients, often, however, the systems and environments they work in make this task difficult.”
Hospersa stated that the Northern Cape Department of Health “continuously failed” to comply with the basic conditions of employment, where employees were supposed to have a 12-hour rest period before starting their next shift.
“The Department of Health has employees on standby duties during their rest periods, which should be considered as overtime.
“Patient transport vehicle drivers travel excess hours without rest, which is a violation of the working conditions.”
It was indicated that ambulances should be manned by two-person EMS crews but there was only one employee to service the community at various workplaces within the Province.
“This is a gross violation of the National Health Act and Health Professional Council of South Africa protocols. EMS is not supposed to exceed the maximum working hours as set out in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.”
The union called for additional EMS staff to be employed to address the shortages and to ensure all vehicles, including ambulances, were roadworthy and fully equipped with the necessary equipment to improve EMS’s level of response.
“All employees must be provided with appropriate and SABS-approved personal protective equipment (PPE) at any given time.”
Hospersa also demanded that all outstanding condition of service payments be settled with employees immediately.
The acting HOD for the Northern Cape Department of Health, Riaan Strydom, noted the grievances raised and committed to reply within the next 14 days.
