An urgent meeting was held between the Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize, The Deputy Minister Dr Joe Phaahla, The Acting Director-General Dr Anban Pillay and senior management. The purpose of the meeting was for the Minister to be given a comprehensive progress report on the relocation of the Department of Health and department employees to an alternative building.
This was following the meeting held between Minister Mkhize and the Minister of Public Works Ms Patricia de Lille in December 2019.
At that meeting, both Ministers resolved that relocating the Department of Health was a matter of urgency. This is due to the fact that some of the Department of Health staff have not been present at work for the full working hours as determined by the employer.
This has been caused by concerns raised regarding the state of the building. It must be noted that the Minister remains committed to the relocation of staff and it is for this reason that, after a report was presented, he directed the management of the Department to go ahead with the implementation of the relocation plan- i.e.
• engage Public Works to finalize the sourcing of the new building;
• ensure that the specifications presented by the Department are complied with,
• inform employees on these developments and engage them on an interim arrangement, which includes them coming back to work and being present for the full designated employment hours pending the finalisation of the relocation,
• public works must endeavour to provide the estimated timeframes for the completion of the relocation process so that this can be communicated to employees,
• management must continue engaging employees, including organized labour, by keeping them appraised on developments, challenges (if any) and ensure inclusive consultation through appropriate forums.
Minister Mkhize said that “The safety our workers is paramount – as a Department of Health, we must lead in the fields of employee wellness and occupational safety, including fostering a tenable working environment. The matter of relocating the Department is critically urgent for us.
“People whom we serve, in fact, 84% of the population, depend on us for their health needs and wellness. I am making an appeal to public servants to heed the call to serve, as we will heed the call to protect them from a harmful working environment.”
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