VIDEO: ‘Management has lost the battle’, Albert Luthuli Hospital staff strike after Covid-19 outbreak

HEALTHCARE workers at the Albert Luthuli Hospital in Durban held a protest over the lack of personal protective gear.

ALSO READ: LISTEN: eThekwini still the epicenter of Covid-19 cases

The workers accused the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health suppressing the scale of the Covid-19 outbreak in the hospital.

Amanda Zulu, provincial secretary of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union, said there were over 100 healthcare workers infected with Covid-19.

The Department of Health, which is the only authority to confirm Covid-19 cases has not responded to questions sent by Berea Mail.

Last week, Dr Thandeka Khanyile, Chief Executive Officer of Albert Luthuli Hospital, said there were 42 staff members who had tested positive for Covid-19.

ALSO READ: Corona victim who refused hospital care dies

In their memorandum of demands to Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu, Nehawu said the hospital management has lost the battle in protecting their workers against the virus.

ALSO READ: UKZN registers first Coronavirus cases

“Our view is that the management in this facility seem to have not only lost the battle in containing the spread of the virus but is failing to present a coherent plan in response to the crisis we are currently facing,” read the memo.

HERE are some of Nehawu’s demands

* A shut down of the hospital for thorough decontamination and disinfection

* All staff working in theatre and trauma units to be give the same PPE as those in Covid-19 wards

* The end of preferential treatment towards doctors when it comes to testing for Covid-19

* For nurses to not be overworked by being assigned a lot of patients.

* Better communication from managers

* A moratorium on all elective theatre cases. Only emergency cases only.

Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting

Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).

Do you want to receive news alerts via Telegram? Send us a message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535.

You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts

Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.