Tebogo Msimanga |
The Democratic Alliance says it has requested that the MEC for the Department of Health, MEC Madoda Sambatha, intervene in the chaos at the Potchefstroom and Witrand Hospitals. The Potchefstroom Hospital was trashed on Wednesday during a protest. The workers are demanding bonuses and Covid-19 payment.
DA Member of Parliament in North West Provincial Legislature Gavin Edwards said the fact that protesters breached the hospital building throwing trash and medical waste in the passages raises red flags about the efficiency of the security at the hospital. “The inability of the Department of Health to ensure that patients are kept safe must be explained by the MEC, together with contingency plans to prevent similar situations in future.
Edwards said public service healthcare workers may not enter protected strike action in the absence of a minimum service level agreement. “The MEC must confirm whether such an agreement was in place for this strike. He must further make public the terms of the agreement”
The DA reiterated that the participants and organisers of this strike must be brought to book.
