Urgent
intervention required to end Rob Ferreira strike
The DA strongly condemns the violent behaviour of striking health
workers at the Rob Ferreira hospital and Health
MEC, Gillion Mashego and departmental curator, MEC Eric Kholwane must act
quickly to resolve and end the strike.
Health workers have been on strike since Friday, reportedly due to
the hospitals lack of uniforms, cleaning aids, overtime, computers and
medication. According to media
reports, the strikers have set fires at the entrance of the hospital.
While we support the grievances of the healthcare workers as it
would be near impossible for them to perform their duties without the tools of
their trade, the DA hopes this strike will not escalate any further and that an
amicable solution will be reached as a matter of urgency.
It is ultimately the patients that bear the brunt of the
department’s continued failure to provide workers with the necessary tools to
do their job efficiently.
This year, the department of health spent its entire R8 Billion
budget, yet only managed to achieve less than half of its planned targets. The
outcome of its poor financial management can see in the frightening state of
the provinces health facilities.
As curator, MEC Kholwane has the mammoth task of bringing the
department of health back onto its feet. It is high time that he started making
progress in this regard as his current pace will see the total collapse of our
province’s hospitals.
The DA once again urges MEC Mashego and the Curator, MEC Kholwane
to stop moving at a snail’s pace where urgency needed. Their lax approach to
taking charge of the provincial health department is unacceptable. They
must show leadership and commitment to giving life to Mpumalanga
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