Johannesburg - Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane has expressed her heartfelt appreciation to doctors, volunteers and non-striking nurses assisting in the hospitals during the public service strike.
On Monday, Mokonyane visited three provincial hospitals - Germiston, Helen Joseph and Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital to show her support to the employees, explain the situation to the patients and give them hope that things will be alright.
Her first visit was to the Germiston Hospital, where a nurse who reported for duty on Thursday was stabbed by striking workers. Only six nurses reported for duty out of 180 employed by the hospital. There were no administration staff, porters and cleaners.
Only the maternity ward and theatre were operating and female and male wards had to be combined due to staff shortages.
While the theatre was functioning at the Helen Joseph Hospital, 35 nurses did not report for work, including all cleaners.
Although 74 percent of nurses didn't report for duty at the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, which performs 30 to 35 deliveries a day, the limited staff managed to take care of the mothers in labour and deliver the babies as usual.
Concerned Mokonyane urged union representatives to speak to their members to refrain from intimidating workers who want to work.
"This thing should come to an end, and both employer and employee should reach some sort of an agreement. Although we respect the workers' rights to strike, but people have a right to health services.
"A number of nurses are not participating in the strike and want to come and work but are being intimidated and prevented from entering the hospitals by the striking workers," Mokonyane said.
She also encouraged patients to come to the hospitals, assuring them that they will still get the best services.
"The hospitals are clean and patients understand what is happening and regardless of the situation, we still have good men and women out there and once inside the hospital, they still manage to give the best health services possible," Mokonyane said.
Alice Ncube, 32, who gave birth to a healthy boy at the Rahimma Moosa Hospital on Monday, thanked nurses for taking good care of her and ensuring that her delivery went well.
"I was scared thinking that they would mistreat me because they are on strike, but was surprised by the good service I received, they did a wonderful job, under the circumstances," said an elated Ncube holding her first born child.
