The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) used their annual World Federation of Trade Unions celebration to hand over their memorandum of demands at the Evander Hospital on October 3.
Among the demands is the investigation report on the missing Evander Hospital employee Thabo Nkosi, who was last seen and heard from on December 9.
Nkosi reported on duty at the Evander Hospital as a driver in the evening on the day of his disappearance.
Nkosi was called to transport blood to the hospital. He collected the blood in Secunda but never made it back to the hospital. According to the police, Nkosi’s cellphone has been off since December 10.
He was driving a white Toyota Hilux double cab with registration number GBM617MG at the time of his disappearance. A missing person case, as well as a vehicle theft case, have been opened.
Jimmy Motha, the NEHAWU regional secretary in Gert Sibande District said safety and security at health facilities is a concern.
“The disappearance of Nkosi is painful because he went missing while on duty. Nothing has further come of it. We never even received an investigation report from the Department of Health about his disappearance.
“The worst part is that the department has also stopped paying his salary. Nkosi’s family survives on food parcels from the Department of Social Development,” said Motha.
“We demand that the department release his salary as part of the psychological support to his family.”
Motha said the union members demand that both health and social development departments should work together and visit Nkosi’s family monthly to give family support.
They want the Department of Health to be more concerned about Nkosi’s disappearance. The union also demands the maintenance of health facilities and said it takes the Evander Hospital two years to fix leaking toilets.
“In terms of compliance in occupational health and safety, patients and hospital employees are at risk while no one addresses the matter, even though the hospital has a CEO.
The union also demands a facility for psychiatric patients after receiving complaints from the nurses that they are assaulted by these patients.
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Union members also want general nurses to be given training that will help them to work with psychiatric patients.
“It is difficult for our general nurses to deal with these patients because they were not trained. When a problem arises, they have to call a doctor from Ermelo for advice.”
Motha said another demand is the building of more health facilities to avoid mixing psychiatric patients with other patients.
“This creates a problem for the hospital staff,” said Motha.
The union is also concerned about water shortages in the Govan Mbeki Municipality.
“The hospital’s supporting staff is expected to bring along buckets of water to the hospital while there is an alternative plan for the government to dig a borehole.”
The union also warned the health department to stop forcing their members to drive unroadworthy cars. They want the department to install trackers in all its vehicles used by employees.
The NEHAWU members handed over their memorandum to a delegation from the Mpumalanga premier’s office who promised to pass it to the premier, Mandla Ndlovu.
