Nursing workers picket so ‘authorities can feel our pain’

Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa)  workers on Tuesday morning picketed outside the health department’s district offices in Port Elizabeth over several concerns.

Their complaints centre on the shortage of staff, safety issues and the implementation of an employee assistance programme.

Denosa regional chair Vuyo Nodlawu said the workers had been engaging with department heads with no success.

He said that in October last year the workers had engaged with the health MEC and department heads in regard to concerns and were promised they would receive feedback within two weeks, but to date they had heard nothing.

“For three years, we haven’t had a permanent district officer and on top of that, the health practitioners are faced with so many challenges,” he said.

Nodlawu said the hostility health practitioners faced from members of the public — as a result of staff shortages and facility maintenance —  was unbearable, making it difficult to get the job done.

He said the MEC and head of health in the province were aware of their cries but were too slow in addressing them.

“We have decided to stage a sit-in at the department hoping that they will respond fast to our demands.

“We only want them to feel the pain we’re in,” he said.

Some clinics were closed in Nelson Mandela Bay but Nodlawu said they had ensured some remained open.

Nomonde Fanelo, 52, a nurse at the New Brighton clinic, said it was difficult to work in clinics under adverse conditions.

She said residents always blamed nurses whenever there was a shortage of staff and medicine.

She also complained about staff safety.

“On a daily basis we are being robbed at gunpoint and no investigations are done nor are there any follow-ups,” she said.

Health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said the issues raised were receiving attention.