Caregivers told to be patient

THE NORTHERN Cape Department of Health has called on protesting community health care workers in the Frances Baard District to be patient while the MEC tours the Province to provide information regarding the specifics of the absorption programme.

The visits to the various districts will conclude in Kimberley before the end of the month, when all health care workers’ concerns will be addressed.

This comes after dozens of members of the South African Liberated Public Service Workers’ Union (Salipswu) picketed in front of the Department of Health’s offices yesterday, demanding answers. The union gave the department one week to respond, under threat of major disruptions to health care services.

Earlier this year, community health care workers (CHWs) expressed concern over the absorption of their programme, stating that it would leave them underqualified for permanent employment, doing their current jobs.

The union’s provincial organiser, Thapelo Thole, said that of the 2 600 CHWs in the Northern Cape, the department only wanted to absorb 1 400.

At the time, he added that unions and the department had also agreed at a national level on a stipend of R3 500 for workers without first consulting with their provincial and regional structures.

The spokesperson for the provincial Department of Health, Lebogang Majaha, said yesterday that discussions regarding the absorption of the CHWs continued and that the department was currently in the process of visiting each of the various districts, in turn, to inform members in person of the latest developments.

The last of these will be to the Frances Baard District, with the MEC due to relay the department’s decision to the CHWs from Kimberley and surrounding areas before the end of the month.

“As the Office of the MEC, we have noted the fears and concerns expressed by the community health care workers across the Province,” Majaha said.

“Throughout our deliberations we have emphasised that the MEC will embark on a roadshow to meet with CHWs at district level.

“We started in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District on Wednesday and by the end of this month the MEC will have announced his decision to the CHWs in every district.”

However, local members of Salipswu are still demanding clarity on the issue and marched on the DOH offices yesterday to hand over their memorandum of demands. These also include backpay (from June 2018), benefits and bonuses.

“We have given the department seven days to come back to us with answers,” Thole said yesterday. “Until then we will embark on a go-slow, but if we have not heard anything by this time next week we will go on strike.”