Chief Executive Officer of Charlotte Maxeke Hospital, Gladys Bogoshi had to plead for access to the facility as workers picketed and denied her access. She had to move rocks and debris out of the way to enter. Once inside she, along with a skeleton staff, had to make do with little to no food, and some patients only had one meal for the day on Wednesday.

Nehawu strike continues to hit hard with widespread reports of deaths and suffering

A junior employee at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital said, “Today was really bad. It was only me and one senior nurse in the maternity ward, you can only imagine how hard that was. We were panicking but we had to do our best to help the pregnant women because that is life or death.” She was leaving the facility at 8pm and had been there since 6am.

Reports keep coming in of violence and intimidation to coerce all staff to drop tools. In one of the most affected facilities in Bloemfontein, Pelonomi Hospital, a concerned staff member said “There is a skeleton staff in the theatre, we are going to do an emergency C-section now! Staff are afraid to return to work [they are] being threatened if they provide clinical care.”

Massive hospital disruptions across SA as health workers continue strike

In a voice note sent to Maverick Citizen, a lady can be heard asking for help to stop health workers from going to work at critical wards.

“Comrades, people are going down who are wearing private [clothes], we just walked past them, they are going to the theatre. Others are going to other posts. We can’t let them go work secretly because we will all receive the money, we will all receive the increase. Comrades please come help,” she calls out to other workers on strike.

Five Nehawu members were shot with rubber bullets at Chris Hani Baragwanath Memorial hospital in the morning. The picket since dispersed and the hospital is functioning. Four protesters were hit with rubber bullets at the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha. 

See Daily Maverick here:Strikers shots with rubber bullets at Mthatha hospital 

Police to down tools 

Phaahla has pleaded with the South African Police Service to enforce the court orders and help maintain order at health facilities. That may be a challenge as the South African Policing Union has put in a notice of strike action to the Department of Public Service and Administration. The strike action will commence from 17 March 2023. “Members are encouraged to join the picket line, SAPU is forging forward with the demand of 10% for our members,” a SAPU brief read.

Nehawu members protest at University Of Johannesburg on March 09, 2023 in Johannesburg. The health workers’ union are demanding a 10% salary hike and the strike is taking place across several hospitals around the country. (Photo: Gallo Images / Papi Morake)

Violence condemned 

Louis Reynolds from the People’s Health Movement South Africa urged Nehawu to “focus without compromise on their legitimate demands. In doing so they need to include protection of the public health system and everyone’s human rights, including the right to health, among the explicit goals of the strike,” said Reynolds

The People’s Health Movement acknowledged the need for adequate pay and a rise in wages for workers but condemned the methods used in some of the facilities around the country.

Nehawu members protest at University Of Johannesburg on March 09, 2023 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The health workers’ union are demanding a 10% salary hike and the strike is taking place across several hospitals around the country. (Photo: Gallo Images / Papi Morake)

Visit Daily Maverick’s home page for more news, analysis and investigations

“If, as is the case here, health workers have inadequate pay, poor working conditions, and unsafe working environments the entire health system becomes unsustainable. People’s health is endangered. We believe that such circumstances justify disruptive industrial action when other means fail, particularly when the intentions behind the action include the protection of the public healthcare system, ensuring sustainable access to quality service delivery, and safeguard people’s constitutional rights to health and healthcare,” Reynolds elaborated.

In a joint media statement, Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla and Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko said “The Department advised provincial departments to seek and apply for court interdicts to protect workers and property against the violence meted out by the Nehawu striking workers.” The pair addressed the media at Charlotte Maxeke on Thursday morning, after extensive meetings with department heads the night before.

The following provinces have successfully applied for the court interdicts empowering the police to enforce law and order at health facilities: Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, and Western Cape. The application process is under way.

“Gauteng province is the most hit by the strike, however, since the morning the situation has improved a bit with some facilities still experiencing difficulties. Yesterday, some hospitals experienced a total shutdown as was the case at Kopanong, Sebokeng, Thelle Mogoerane, and Bheki Mlangeni, where patients were left unattended as striking workers went inside wards ordering staff out of the facilities. Two academic hospitals, Charlotte Maxeke and Chris Hani Baragwanath, were also negatively impacted,” said Phaahla.

Bheki Mlangeni, Kopanong, Sebokeng, Thelle Mogoerane, and Helen Joseph hospitals are still experiencing challenges according to Phaahla.

Entrance to the Baragawanath Hospital blocked during the Nehawu protest on March 09, 2023 in Soweto, South Africa. The health workers’ union are demanding a 10% salary hike and the strike is taking place across several hospitals around the country. (Photo by Gallo Images/Papi Morake)

MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko outlined the provisions made to assist workers and patients. “The Department has assigned senior managers to all affected districts and health facilities to provide support to assess the situation and provide the necessary support.

Nkomo-Ralehoko outlined contingency measures being taken:

• Where services are affected the National Department of Health is working with Provinces to ensure that contingency plans are in place:
• All appointments that would not be attended to will be rescheduled.
• A catch-up programme will have to be in place.
• Patients who were discharged need to be given enough medications so that we alleviate the pressure on the health system.
• Elective operations have been postponed until the situation normalises. However, no elective surgeries are being prioritised. DM/MC