DURBAN - The KwaZulu-Natal National Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) says the province is headed for a health crisis and a rapid spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Nehawu spokesperson Ayanda Zulu said the union was very concerned about the abrupt halt to the Covid-19 vaccine rollout programme, which was currently the only pharmaceutical defence for frontline health workers.
Zulu said reports from their members were that some were unable to go to work. “It is not all health workers in KZN that have received the Covid-19 vaccine. The rollout pace has been very poor, and the announcement of the stop will just make matters worse.
“Previously, our members suffered from fatigue from long queues and general anxiety from the Covid-19 pandemic, and this is going to add to their concerns. We urge the government to stabilise this crisis as a matter of priority and urgency,” he said.
Nurses, doctors and other essential clinical staff are being deployed to assist at overflowing hospitals.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle, on Tuesday, said the protests have all but put a stop to the province’s all-important Covid-19 vaccination rollout programme.
Zikalala said the current spate of unrest in the province had a huge potential to undermine its advancements in battling the Delta variant of the Covid-19, which was increasing at an uncontrollable rate across the entire province.
He said the healthcare sector had been one of the hardest-hit sectors by the civil unrest both in the public and private sectors, adding that the blockade of key infrastructure, as well as provincial and local routes has made public mobility difficult.
“Many hospital staff who were working during the night shift last night were unable to travel. Matters have also been worsened by the non-availability of public transport. This must be understood clearly that the public transport has decided to stop its operations because they are fearful that their vehicles will be damaged.
“As a result of all of this, a number of hospitals, Community Health Centres and clinics across KwaZulu-Natal have been operating on skeletal staff, with many nurses, doctors, allied health workers and support staff, including general staff workers, unable to report for work.
“Some clinics have had to be closed as a result of the unrest. Many hospitals with trauma cases are unable to undergo important operational interventions such as X-Rays, and others. It is extremely concerning that in some instances, the protesters stopped vehicles from delivering much-needed oxygen that was intended for use by patients battling Covid-19 and other ailments, “said Zikalala.
He added that health transportation had not been spared. In Howick, an ambulance was burnt, while another was attacked with rocks in Mariannhill.
“We urge everyone to know that no matter what the circumstances, they should never, ever disrupt the functioning of hospitals and clinics. Our people are still sick. Our people are still getting injured.
“Our pregnant women still need to be admitted for ante-natal care and birth delivery. They all need to be attended to by healthcare professionals; or be referred to higher-level institutions due to complications that need specialist care in some cases. With the blockades, we might start losing lives unnecessarily. We are appealing to the collective conscience of all of those who are trying to render our province ungovernable to desist from what they are doing in order to avert unnecessary loss of lives, ”said Zikalala.
THE MERCURY