Nurses tested for Covid-19 after protest

HEALTH FEARS: Nursing staff at Empilweni TB Hospital in Motherwell protest on Wednesday in support of demands that they be tested for Covid-19
Picture: FREDLIN ADRIAAN

Nurses at the  Empilweni TB Hospital were tested for Covid-19 Wednesday afternoon after they earlier took to the streets in protest after a kitchen staff member at the Motherwell facility tested positive.

SA Federation of Trade Unions’ Port Elizabeth secretary Mzikazi Nkata said the nurses were tested at 3.30pm after they said they were discriminated against when the kitchen staff was tested earlier in the day and they were not.

The nurses, who asked not to be named, claim the problem started when the hospital was converted into a Covid-19 treatment site without proper consultation or planning.

The nurses claimed that a patient at the hospital had a visitor on April 17 who had contracted Covid-19 and that they had repeatedly asked to be tested because of this but they were ignored.

“We were told this isn’t about us, we have to work, we must take it or leave it,” a nurse, who asked not to be named, said

“This angered the workers, because our contracts are to serve TB patients and we wouldn’t discriminate against them if they had Covid-19.

“We engaged with the hospital management where we submitted a petition to the district, the provincial health office and our unions as well.”

Another nurse said they believed they were being discriminated against  because a mobile clinic had arrived Wednesday to test the kitchen staff but not the nurses.

“We use the same transport as the kitchen staff member [who] tested positive,” she said.

“We were in direct contact with her, but we weren’t tested while there was a mobile clinic.

“This isn’t fair, we don’t know if we aren’t taking Covid-19 to our families.”

Nkata earlier said the nurses believed that the health department had neglected them.

“Saftu notes with contempt the recklessness of the Empilweni TB Hospital CEO — this after a kitchen staff member tested positive after coming into contact with a patient  [who] was positive,” Nkata said.

“This follows after workers fought that the facility should not be made a Covid-19 centre.

“However, the Eastern Cape department of health  overlooked this.”

According to Nkata, staff at the hospital had been informed that only people who worked closely with the Covid-19-positive staff member would be allowed to stay at home while others were expected to work.

Eastern Cape health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said later 42 nurses had been tested Wednesday.

“None of them were symptomatic,” he said.

“The CEO was advised that the staff who were not in close contact and are asymptomatic may come to the hospital and wear the PPE.

“Those who were in close contact are the ones that should have been referred for quarantine at home, provided that the circumstances at home permit this.”

He said more tests would be done today.

“Decontamination of Empilweni is in progress,” Kupelo said.

Nkata said Saftu and other labour unions were monitoring the testing of staff and would ensure the facility remain closed until all workers had received their results and the hospital was disinfected.

The Motherwell NU 2 clinic, which was closed on Wednesday last week after three nurses tested positive for Covid-19, remained shut by this Wednesday.

Nurses who gathered outside the premises claimed that the clinic had yet to be disinfected.

“We are terrified for our families. Though some of our results said we’re negative, we were forced to work together while we were all waiting for our results,” one nurse said.

Another nurse said: “We are very worried about our patients. They come to our homes asking for help, we take them as our families.”

The Tshangane Clinic in New Brighton was also closed on Wednesday.

Nkata said the facility had been closed so that staff could be tested for Covid-19.

This was because two employees at the clinic had come into contact with members of an interview panel at the Zwide Clinic who had tested positive.

Nkata said nurses at the Tshangane Clinic had waited inside the premises Wednesday for their tests to be done by  officials from the health district office.

“We will wait and take it from there if they are forced to work,” Nkata said.

“At the present moment, we don’t know if the employer will force them to go to work after they’ve done their test.” ​

HeraldLIVE@HeraldPE

Nurses at Empilweni TB Hospital, in New Brighton, are protesting today and among other things demanded that they should be allowed to self isolate after a kitchen staff member tested positive for Covid-19, reports @sonic303

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Nursing staff at Empilweni TB Hospital in Motherwell protest on Wednesday in support of demands that they be tested for Covid-19

HEALTH FEARS: Nursing staff at Empilweni TB Hospital in Motherwell protest on Wednesday in support of demands that they be tested for Covid-19
Image: FREDLIN ADRIAAN

HeraldLIVE@HeraldPE

Motherwell NU 2 nurses say they risk their lives standing outside the clinic waiting to be tested according to SASAWU shop steward Nomonde Fanele.

Three workers had tested positive with nurses asking to be re-tested, reports @sonic303

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