A child has died in Butterworth while waiting for an ambulance to arrive during a strike by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) staff.
This comes in the wake of patients being turned away, surgery interrupted and halted, and rubbish strewn about the corridors of Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Gauteng this week as protesting workers trashed the hospital in a dispute over unpaid bonuses.
The Eastern Cape department of health has threatened EMS striking workers with disciplinary action if they do not return to work.
Human Rights Advocacy Group, Section 27, has written to the provincial health department informing them of the child’s death, saying the Eastern Cape Health Crisis Action Coalition (ECHCAC) had been inundated with complaints arising from the strike.
Provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said: “The department is aware of the reported death after Section 27 wrote to the department”.
He said the child who died was waiting to be transferred from Butterworth to East London.
Areas affected by the strike include Alice, Bedford, Butterworth, Cathcart, East London, Fort Beaufort, Keiskammahoek, Mdantsane and Peddie. Kupelo said the department’s SG Dr Thobile Mbengashe had written to the striking workers giving them an ultimatum to return to work – or face disciplinary action.
Section 27’s Ntsiki Mpulo said health professionals in the Eastern Cape have raised the alarm as healthcare services in the province have been crippled by a lack of ambulances and patient transport vehicles. Patients had reported that there was a strike by EMS workers.
“A number of health professionals have contacted the coalition in desperation as they have been unable to transfer patients in need of urgent medical care.“Some patients are forced to hire taxis at prices they cannot afford to take them to the hospital or forfeit their hospital visit with dire long-term consequences to their health.
“Both health professionals and patients have spent countless hours on the phone to Emergency Medical Services call-centres only to be told that no ambulances are available,” Mpulo said.
Kupelo said: “The situation is being dealt with. The department has contracted the services of private ambulances to work but they are being intimidated by striking EMS staff. The department has further sent out non- emergency vehicles but they too were intimidated,” said Kupelo.
“The department has warned the EMS staff to go back to work or face disciplinary action.”
Mpulo said: “We urge the MEC of Health, Premier Phumulo Masualle and the Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi to prioritise the lives of patients and take decisive action”.
Nehawu provincial secretary Miki Jaceni said they were not aware of the alleged death of a child.
“Nobody knows about that.” Asked if their members were on strike or not, Jaceni said. “We did not apply for a strike but we are aware of the threats faced by our members.
“Currently there is a meeting with our members and the SG currently under way in Port Elizabeth.”..