THE ongoing protest action by The Enoch Mgijima Healthcare Centre Facility staff members, together with local community leaders, has left the centre paralysed and many patients without treatment.
According to Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality Ward 26 councillor, Papama Madubedube, the strike commenced on February 3, over several issues, including poor working conditions, as well as the alleged involvement of three government officials in a case of manipulation in the recruitment process of seven posts that were due to be filled more than six months ago.
Madubedube alleges that the scores of a candidate for a vacancy at the Enoch Mgijima Health Care Centre were altered to favour the candidate who had not even applied for the vacancy. Madubedube added that the vacancies were not even advertised.
“The resolution reached from a recent staff meeting held was to set recruitment criteria and only comprehensive trained professional nurses were supposed to be selected.”
The process, however, resulted in being everything but transparent.
According to Madubedube, the clinic board members were all left outside during the selection process; no report was submitted to the board as required by law.
Madubedube stated that a memorandum had been handed over to Chris Hani District manager, Nomeko Kiza, on January 23, seeking urgent intervention on the issue, but to date they still had not received any response.
“Serious grievances were tabled in that memo and we really are not impressed with the way in which the matter is being handled. A list of other operational challenges was also forwarded for the attention of the district manager and the clinic board and I tried on many occasions to intervene when the staff had threatened to strike.”
Emphasising the urgency of the resolvement of the issue, Madubedube said the delay in the appointment of lower category clinical staff has now resulted in professional nurses doing duties that are supposed to be done by enrolled nursing assistants.
“This shortage also affects patient registration as the current nurses also have to assist in that department due to shortage of administration clerks. Other staff members have complained about fatigue resulting from working both day and night shifts to curb lack of services to the patients.”
Madubedube said it is now feared that if the strike continues and escalates, more and more services could be affected. However, the protest action is said to only be suspended once the demands are met.
Meanwhile, Eastern Cape Health Department spokesperson, Sizwe Kupelo said, “There is no strike at Enoch Mgijima, however, staff took sick leave resulting in management being the only ones to render services.” He added that an investigation into the latest developments had been launched by the district management.
