Mutinying Eastern Cape nurses call for health MEC to resign over setting inadequate PPE example

The Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) has called for the resignation of Eastern Cape health MEC Sindiswa Gomba after she entered a hospital ward treating Covid-19 positive patients wearing only a mask.

Gomba, who was in the company of health minister Zweli Mkhize for most of the day on Tuesday as he visited East London and Willowvale, has been accused of “grossly” violating measures put in place to counter the spread of the virus.    

Nurses at the Glen Grey provincial hospital in Cacadu, who have downed tools demanding more personal protection equipment (PPE), described Gomba's actions at the hospital on Monday as “lax and reckless”.

Two nurses, who spoke to DispatchLIVE on condition of anonymity as they are not authorised to speak to the media, said Gomba “waltzed” into a ward accommodating 19 patients who have tested positive for the virus wearing a mask but no gloves or protective apron.

But Gomba said she had done nothing wrong.

Speaking to DispatchLIVE on Tuesday, Gomba said: “I had my mask.” 

Pressed on whether she  had gloves and an apron as recommended, Gomba said: “Why would I have them? I had my distance and those people are not sick. They were at a distance from me.

“The doctor who was really dealing with them was wearing everything. I was at the door addressing people who are sitting in their beds.”

A photograph sent to DispatchLIVE, the authenticity of which was verified by health department director Siyanda Manana, shows Gomba standing next to a hospital bed in the ward. She is standing a few metres inside the ward, and is holding a face mask in her hands.

“She was addressing the patients from the door ensuring physical distance as the minister emphasises all the time. She wanted to be heard clearly by the patients. Remember the conditions of the patients differ. Others were far as well,” Manana said.

Denosa provincial secretary Khaya Sodidi said Gomba had “grossly violated” the regulations by walking into the ward with only a mask.

“She must now be subjected to tests and be isolated and quarantined for days. She is not leading by example. [The patients in that ward] have tested positive for Covid-19.”

Sodidi said the union would be issuing a statement on Wednesday calling for the MEC to resign.

With the nurses refusing to treat the Covid-19 positive patients, they say that responsibility has fallen to the hospital CEO and two doctors.

This was put to Gomba, who said: “Those people are not sick. Those people only need monitoring, which is about checking their temperature. It's about complaining about issues they feel they have. Remember, we must minimise as many people as we can in an area with Covid-19. That's what I did.”

Gomba was adamant that the nurses have enough PPE.

“As the nurses were toyi-toying, they were all wearing masks; that's part of PPE.”

The nurses say it is  inadequate. Gomba insists it is sufficient.

“Others were wearing aprons. And it depends on which position you are in when you will be wearing what PPE. Of course, for all of us we agree that we cannot expose them to positive people without wearing the full gear.”

She described the meeting as a success.

“What I actually found out is that people are not aware of the Covid-19 situation — both communities and even our community health workers. To a certain extent, we started to get into a workshop space so that they are ready,” Gomba said.

She said she had spoken to the patients “to make them understand the reason why all of a sudden they are there”.