Pretoria - The Health Department says it is monitoring the impact of strike action on health services as some 1.3 million government employees were expected to down tools on Tuesday.
The department's spokesperson Fidel Hadebe said reports received so far suggest varying levels of disruptions among provinces and hospitals with some provinces reporting major disruptions and interference with operations.
"The department would like to re-assure members of the public that it will do everything possible to ensure that those who need access to healthcare exercise their constitutional right to access such services even during unfortunate circumstances as being currently experienced," he said.
He said in line with its standard procedures during disruptions, hospitals may decide to refer patients to less affected facilities within a province or even across provincial boundaries.
Hadebe said the national department, together with its provincial counterparts, would continue to monitor the impact of the strike action on service-delivery throughout the country's health facilities.
