Staff Reporter
Healthcare workers at the Free State Psychiatric Complex have downed tools claiming the government had failed to give them adequate support and protection to deal with COVID-19 while on duty.
The Free Stater reported at the weekend that at least 14 healthcare workers and 24 patients at the mental hospital in Bloemfontein were in isolation after testing positive for the disease.
The outbreak is said to have brought panic to the 877-bed institution and some healthcare workers wanted the place closed to allow for decontamination and deep cleaning fearing more people could be infected.
In a bid to resolve the crisis at the hospital, the provincial health department has this afternoon been locked in a meeting with representatives of the striking workers.
Provincial health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi confirmed the crisis talks, saying the strike was regrettable.
“The department has sent a delegation to the psychiatric complex to . . . see how we can resolve the strike,” he said in a voice note.
“We are still engaging with about four unions representing workers here,” he added.
“What we see is that there seem to be general anxiety when it comes to the general management of COVID-19 issues.”
Mvambi said the striking workers are alleging that hospital management has not adequately prepared them to handle the acute respiratory disease.
But the hospital bosses are said to have denied this.
“Our interest as the provincial leadership is to make sure that we find a common ground for all that are involved in this impasse so that there is correct interpretation of the guidelines of COVID-19 and also a common understanding of what constitutes the PPEs (personal protective equipment) that people are supposed to be getting,” Mvambi said.
He urged all parties involved to exercise patience so that the matter could be resolved for the benefit of both patients and staff.
Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa Free State chairperson Thibogang Talbort Thole also confirmed he was in the meeting and could not immediately comment on the strike.
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union as well as the Health and Other Services Personnel Trade Union of South Africa are also believed to be part of the meeting.
The Free State Psychiatric Complex serves the Free State province and parts of the Northern Cape.
It offers acute psychiatry services, a care and rehabilitation centre, an observation unit, a psycho-geriatric unit and a forensic unit.