Eastern Cape nursing union backs proposed new alcohol ban

The Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA in the Eastern Cape has come out in full support of premier Oscar Mabuyane’s proposal that the ban on the sale of alcohol be reinstated.

Denosa provincial secretary Khaya Sodidi said the union appreciated Mabuyane’s commitment to engage national ministers in this regard.

“The continued sale of alcohol under alert level 3 would see the overwhelming of our healthcare system and undermine the country’s level of preparedness for Covid-19,” he said.

On Monday, Mabuyane announced that the provincial government wanted the national command council to consider banning the sale of alcohol in the province.

Mabuyane said there had been increases in violent crimes in the province since June 1 when the ban on alcohol sales was lifted.

He said this could be contributed to alcohol consumption.

Sodidi said on Wednesday the union hoped Mabuyane would get the full support of other premiers across the country as the effects of the lifting of the ban were extreme and had the potential of overshadowing the benefits to the country’s economy.

“As soon as the ban was lifted on June 1 health workers experienced an influx of emergency cases at various trauma units in both the province and the country, ranging from stab wounds and fights to motor vehicle accidents.

“At Dora Nginza Hospital in Port Elizabeth, for example, the Thuthuzela Care Centre, which deals with cases related to sexual violence and abuse, reported a steep increase of 90% in cases since the lifting of the ban on alcohol. The hospitals and clinics in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro also saw a general increase in trauma cases, some as a result of gender-based violence,” Sodidi said.

As of June 9, the province had 6,760 registered Covid-19 cases.

He added this was a clear sign that alcohol was keeping healthcare workers and the healthcare system extremely busy.

Furthermore, Sodidi said, this meant the man-made emergencies in facilities were now posing serious competition to Covid-19 cases for resources such as beds and equipment like ventilators and ICU infrastructure.

“The reversal of the lifting of the ban on alcohol is likely to see a marked reduction in the emergencies that we have come to witness in our healthcare facilities, which will augur well for the country’s preparation for Covid-19.

“If this is not done, critical Covid-19 patients may die because the ICU beds and ventilators which they need are occupied by alcohol-related cases,” Sodidi said.