Nursing union opposes reopening of KZN hospitals

The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) raised their concern after the re-opening of the Netcare St Augustine’s and Kingsway hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN),

IOL reported that Denosa said that unless they received an investigative report into how the outbreak of Covid-19 spread at the facilities, the union’s members would be told to not return to duty.

The union said they also wanted the safety of their members to be guaranteed.

In a statement on Monday, Denosa’s Mandla Shabangu said there had been no transparency as to what caused Covid-19 to spread at both medical facilities.

“The reason for closing these institutions was to conduct investigations so as to determine the cause of so many infections with the view to prevent it from re-happening.

“It is worrying that to date, organised labour as one of the stakeholders have not been given the outcome of the investigation so that they can reassure their members that the institutions are now safe for them to come back to,” he said.

Shabangu said they were concerned that nurses and other essential workers could still be at risk if the cause of the outbreak had not been identified and attended to.

He warned against Netcare punishing Denosa members if they did not show up to work.

In a statement, Netcare said the KZN department of health gave permission on Friday for both hospitals to reopen.

“Since Netcare St Augustine’s and Netcare Kingsway hospitals were closed for new patient admissions in April, Netcare has been engaging and working closely, and on an ongoing basis, with the KZN health department on all matters pertaining to Covid-19 at the hospitals as well as planning for their reopening,” said Craig Murphy, coastal regional director of Netcare hospitals.

Murphy said the doctors at the hospitals would also again be consulting from their rooms as from Monday.

Meanwhile, the portfolio committee on health welcomed the reopening of the hospitals.

The two hospitals were closed last month when four people died at St Augustine’s Hospital in Durban and 47 staff members tested positive due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Kingsway Hospital in Amanzimtoti was also closed after 10 staff members tested positive for Covid-19 after exposure at the hospital was traced to a patient.

KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala said that the executive management of the department of health had considered the discussions and reports submitted by Netcare Limited.

The premier briefed the media on Sunday on recent developments since the start of Level 4 of the national lockdown.

“The department appreciates the open discussions held in trying to resolve the challenges faced by Netcare Limited during Covid-19,” Zikalala said.

Welcoming the reopening of the two hospitals, portfolio committee on health chairperson, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo said he was hoping that the provincial department of health had satisfied itself with all the necessary precautionary steps the two hospitals needed to follow.

“We wish that the department continues with its monitoring work, not only in the private healthcare, but across the sectors of health in the province, including the public healthcare to ensure that the pockets of outbreaks we see in the Western Cape Province are averted,” he said.

Dhlomo also added that the two private hospitals should do their best to curb further outbreaks.

“One is mindful that the resources that are available in the two private hospitals will be an advantage to the public healthcare sector as we manage Covid-19. Access to ventilators and intensive care units will be very important,” he said.

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