…By Roland Peterson for TDPel Media.
Nearly 100 former nurses who previously worked at Jubilee District Hospital in Hammanskraal are urging the Gauteng Department of Health to hire them permanently.
Initially hired in July 2020 to assist with the Covid-19 pandemic, their contracts were renewed periodically but were ultimately terminated at the end of March 2023.
Nurses Protest Outside Hospital, Citing Understaffing and Resistance to Agency Work
Since Monday, these nurses have been staging a protest outside the hospital premises.
One nurse expressed their frustration, stating, “They want us to work under agencies, and we don’t want that.”
She highlighted the severe understaffing within the hospital, with only two nurses currently working inside the wards, resulting in excessive workloads.
Despite the challenging conditions, the Department of Health has shown reluctance to employ additional nursing staff.
The nurse added, “It’s heartbreaking to see our people in distress, and I know I am a qualified person and could help.
We are told there is no budget for us.”
Cholera Outbreak Adds Pressure to Overburdened Jubilee Hospital
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) issued a statement on Monday, noting that the cholera outbreak has further exacerbated the strain on Jubilee Hospital.
The influx of patients has pushed the facility to its breaking point.
DENOSA emphasized that nurses should not be expected to perform tasks beyond their scope of practice, such as carrying water buckets to the water tankers.
Shortage of Nurses and Contract Extension Delays
Bongani Mazibuko, the provincial secretary of DENOSA Gauteng, acknowledged the shortage of nurses and revealed that an agreement had been reached at the provincial level to extend the contracts of Covid-19 contract nurses.
According to Mazibuko, these contracts were initially set to end on March 31, 2023, and the Gauteng health department was expected to provide new contracts to the nurses from April 1, 2023, to March 2024.
Nurses whose contracts were terminated were advised to contact the union for further assistance.
Department of Health Unavailable for Comment
Despite multiple unsuccessful attempts by GroundUp to obtain a comment from the Gauteng health department, no response was received.