Pretoria - The disruption of provision of ARVs to critical patients and the intimidation and assault of non-striking nurses are some of the ways in which hospitals and clinics in KwaZulu-Natal have been affected.
Addressing the provincial legislature on Tuesday, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Dr Zweli Mkhize said the impact of the strike on health facilities had been inhumane and unexpected.
"The most worrying development in the 16 years of liberation is that law abiding citizens and the most vulnerable members of our society who try to access public health institutions have been subjected to a wholesale of lawness and threats," said a concerned Mkhize.
The worst affected area has been eThekwini, which recorded the highest number of incidents relating to the strike. More than 300 patients, mostly surgical and ICU patients, have been transferred to private facilities at an estimated cost of R1 million.
The King Edward Hospital saw incidents of staff intimidation and health workers being removed from the institution. A staff member's car was set alight at the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital and a nurse sustained a head injury. On numerous occasions, the Grey's Hospital was deliberately flooded with taps and fire hydrants left opened and unattended by protesters.
"This has caused unnecessary disruption in the provision of quality patient care, in-patients have been affected because they have had to be discharged before the due date of their discharge. Some patients have been transferred to private hospitals and this will have far reaching consequences for the budget of the hospital," noted Mkhize.
Patients in uMgungundlovu District, who are on ARVs, have also been denied access to treatment.
Mkhize reported that a senior technical advisor for ART, STI and VCT in the Department of Health within the district was deployed to Greys Hospital to assist because the staff responsible for dispensing ARVs had been chased away by protesters.
"Most staff members are afraid to go to the hospitals to collect ARVs for patients because of fear of violence."
Psychiatric hospitals, including Fort Napier and Townhill, have also bared the brunt of the strike. No nurses or kitchen staff reported for duty at the weekend at Fort Napier following last week's incident where two bakkies came into the hospital with sjamboks and hit the kitchen staff.
"In Townhill Hospital, three patients absconded from the institution but were found inside the premises with one patient found outside the hospital premises by SAPS," Mkhize said.
eThekwini mortuaries have also seen a complete shut-down of services with instruments going missing at some facilities.
Responding to the incidents, the provincial government has obtained a court order preventing any person from entering or leaving any hospital, clinic, school, mortuary and all provincial governmental offices within the province.
The court order also prevent assaulting and/or threatening to assault and/or intimidate any person engaged in the business of any hospital, clinic, school, mortuary and all provincial governmental offices within the province.
It further prevents striking workers from damaging or threatening to damage any hospital, clinic, school, mortuary and all provincial governmental office property within the province of KZN.
"This court interdict is aimed at ensuring that the rights of learners, patients as well as the rights of non-striking workers are not infringed upon," Mkhize said.
