Zwide Clinic shutdown threat as staff test positive for virus

A new Covid-19 hotspot has emerged in Port Elizabeth’s Zwide area, with a slew of reported new cases at a clinic prompting a planned shutdown on Monday by unions.

The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) said on Sunday that 11 employees had tested positive at the Zwide Clinic following  the alleged Covid-related death of a staff member last month and despite a subsequent call from clinic staff for urgent action to be taken.

Saftu provincial secretary Mziyanda Twani said the shutdown was unfortunate but necessary.

“We need to send a signal to the authorities and to the surrounding community.

“We have a serious shortage of personal protective equipment and workers are being made to work while they wait for test results, even if they have been in direct contact with a coronavirus-positive patient.”

Health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said officials in the Nelson Mandela Bay district were not responding to detailed questions sent to him by The Herald.

Twani, meanwhile, said the shutdown would abide by Covid-19 state of disaster regulations, include representatives from affiliated and non-affiliated unions and highlight similar problems at other public institutions in the metro, including police stations and other health-care facilities.

“Our belief as combined health unions is that, should any staff member test positive for Covid-19, the staff must be tested and at least given a chance to isolate, and the facilities must be entirely cleaned.

“Thereafter, staff must only come back when they have tested negative,” Twani said.

“We expect the government to give an audience to our concerns and demands tomorrow or in the week.”

He said the situation was dire.

“At the Zwide Clinic a few weeks ago, a staff member went home feeling exhausted, took a nap and never woke up.

“She was later found to be Covid-19 positive.

“The staff demanded that everyone be tested for Covid-19 and that the entire clinic be deep-cleaned.

“However, the cleaning company only cleaned the room that the deceased nurse had been working in, which was the pharmacy,” he alleged.

This intervention had taken place the previous weekend and the rest of the staff were also tested for the virus.

“However, they had to go straight back to work on Monday [last week] and work as normal, even though they did not yet know the result of their tests,” Twani said.

 The results started coming in on Thursday, confirming that one staff member had tested positive for the virus.

“On Friday, all health unions asked the district to close the clinic,  send staff home at least until their results were known, and to bring the disinfecting team back to clean the whole clinic.

“In response, the Eastern Cape health department’s district office issued a new standard operating plan which says all health workers who have been tested for the coronavirus must continue to work until they get their results — even if they have been in direct contact with a Covid-19 positive patient,” he said.

“This means all employees who have not yet received their results will be forced to go to work.

“This standard operating procedure ignores the regulation that says should an employee be in direct contact with a coronavirus-positive patient, the person should remain home until [he or she] gets the results before returning to work.”

The infection had quickly spread, Twani said.

“By Saturday, a total of 11 staff from the Zwide Clinic had been found to be positive.

“There are still more Zwide Clinic staff who have not received their results.

“We do not know, therefore, if the number will increase even more.”

Twani said the lack of proper Covid-19 front-line protective gear was worsening already dangerous conditions at the clinic.

“Zwide Clinic workers have a serious shortage of personal protective equipment.

“We do not have enough gloves or masks.

“We wear one mask for the entire day and there are more than 500 patients coming in and out from different communities each day.

“This is a serious risk to us and the patients.”

He said the situation at the clinic was reflected in police stations and clinics across the metro and staff were growing increasingly stressed.

“They are afraid and uncertain of their future so it’s affecting their psychological and physical wellbeing.

“We will be protesting in an appropriate manner that does not undermine distance regulations and masking, and we will have sanitisers available.

“The aim is to highlight the serious situation to the government and the surrounding community.

“The government must take urgent action.”

Asked what the 500 people who visited the clinic each day were supposed to do for health care, he said it was an unfortunate situation.

“What about the spread of the virus if we do not address these problems, including to patients who have comorbidities or existing health problems?

“This shutdown action is not to prevent a service but to highlight a situation which is itself not safe and which could make things worse.”

Twani said members of the South African State and Allied Workers Union, Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA, National Education Health and Allied Workers Union, Democratic Municipal and Allied Workers Union of SA and the Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union had committed to participate in the shutdown protest.

Mabaso Jacobs, the councillor for Ward 25 — which includes the Zwide Clinic, said he had been told about the death of a staff member by the clinic committee but had not heard about the latest positive cases.

“I don’t know about the intended shutdown so will take it when it happens,” Jacobs said.

He said he and his team were working to educate the community about the virus and the preventive measures they should be taking, in line with the call from President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“There have not been any complaints about the clinic so far but this might change with this new information now emerging.”