TB hospital staff picket over treating Covid-19 patients

Empilweni TB Hospital nursing staff took to the streets again over their frustration at the hospital in New Brighton being turned into a Covid-19 isolation site. .

Speaking on behalf of the nurses, Nehawu regional chair Godwell Pokolo on Thursday said the agreement between the facility and government was that the department of health would use a portion of the hospital which was vacant for isolation and quarantine wards.

Thursday was  the second day of picketing.   

“That area can admit up to 20 patients, there’s 20 beds there. We normally used it as a waiting area for some of our TB patients who needed temporary isolation from other patients.

“We said if there are any TB patients who test positive for Covid-19 and for outside cases that were mild or low risk,” Pokolo said.

He said now it appears the entire New Brighton hospital would be used for Covid-19 treatment as TB patients were moved to Osmord and Jose Pearson hospitals.

One of the nurses, who asked not to be named, said: “We have been employed to nurse TB patients not Covid-19, we are not trained for that.

“There are no sanitisers here or even proper protective clothing.”

Another nurse said they wanted the department to address them as they were not prepared to nurse any Covid-19 patients.

The nurse had previously said officials from the department refused to address them and instead police were sent to disperse them on Wednesday.

Questions were sent to department of health spokesperson Siyanda Manana, who had not responded at the time of publication.