Essential medical staff at Kimberley hospital issue pay-to-work ultimatum

ESSENTIAL staff at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley - including nurses, pharmacists and theatre staff - have warned they will suspend weekend and after-hours duties if outstanding overtime payments and allowances are not paid by Friday, May 30.

The provincial chairperson of the Health and Other Services Personnel Trade Union of South Africa (Hospersa), Paul Gras, this week demanded answers from the Department of Health’s chief financial officer, questioning why payments have been outstanding since January.

“From May 30, staff will only work from 7.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, if the allowances are still not paid,” said Gras. “This may impact patient care during the planned municipal water shutdown this weekend, especially as we have around 100 members on site. It’s also month-end, and we expect the hospital to be extremely busy.”

He added that staff at Connie Vorster Hospital in Hartswater had already adopted similar measures, limiting their working hours to weekdays from 7am to 4pm due to unpaid overtime and allowances.

Gras also highlighted the dire shortage of staff at Connie Vorster Hospital.

“There is only one cleaner employed to clean the entire hospital. The state of the facility leaves much to be desired - with the floors and walls cracked, and lifts and toilets that are not working. The hospital is supposed to be a National Health Insurance pilot site, and yet it is in a shocking condition.” 

Department of Health spokesperson Lebogang Majaha stated that the administrative processes were being handled by the department internally, in consultation with all relevant stakeholders.

"Currently, all health-care services are running smoothly at the aforementioned facilities. Our preoccupation and current focus is to ensure that our people receive quality health services at all times,” said Majaha.

He added that contingency plans were in place to address any potential disruptions during the planned water supply interruption from May 29 to June 3.

“Inspections were made to ensure that the JoJo tanks at local clinics and the Galeshewe Day Hospital are functioning. The municipality will assist health facilities with refilling their tanks as the need arises.” 

Majaha said that a new two-million-litre capacity water management system had been installed at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital. 

“Reinforcing this infrastructure, is an underground reservoir with a 370,000-litre capacity. Multiple water tankers have been stationed across the facility, which will provide 200,000 litres of water. This will ensure a consistent water supply.”  

He urged the public to use water sparingly at health-care facilities.

“The department is taking extra control measures at each health facility, especially hospitals and community health-care centres, to safeguard access to potable water. The acting head of department, Mxolisi Mlatha, together with senior management, will conduct support visits to key health-care facilities in the Sol-Plaatje municipal district over the weekend,” Majaha added.