HOSPERSA DEMANDS INFECTION CONTROL MEASURES IN LIMPOPO HEALTH CENTRE
Hospersa, a Union of more than 60 000 healthcare workers in the public and private healthcare sector, has demanded the sanitization of Marapong Health Centre, in Lephalale (Limpopo Province), following two staff members testing positive for COVID-19. The health centre’s management has refused to disinfect or purify the facility and demands all staff members to resume their duties even with the Union arguing that the two COVID-19 positive staff members could have left traces of the deadly virus on the centre’s contact surfaces. Hospersa has now written to the office of the Limpopo Health Member of the Executive Council (MEC) demanding infection control measures before all staff members can continue rendering services to the community.
The Marapong Health Centre in Lephalale (Limpopo Province) has had to turn away patients since yesterday due to a deadlock between management and workers on infection control measures in place following two staff members testing positive for COVID-19 in the facility. Hospersa is demanding that the facility be disinfected or purified to ensure all possible traces of COVID-19 are cleared from the facility. The health centre’s management is refusing to disinfect the centre citing budget constraints as one of the reasons and have instead demanded staff members to continue working as normal. Hospersa has advised its members not to resume work and has also written to the office of provincial health MEC raising the union’s concerns of the members’ ply for a safe working environment.
“We have advised our members at the Marapong Health Centre to not render any services until the centre is declared safe to work in,” said Hospersa Public Relations Officer Kevin Halama. “We are shocked by the health centre’s refusal to disinfect the area and provide a safe working environment for our members as enshrined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act and in accordance with the National Disaster Management Act. We have now written to the Limpopo Health Head of Department (HOD) and the Health MEC to raise our concerns and demand safety for our members,” added Halama.
“We have seen the devasting effect this virus has on health workers where infection control measures in health facilities are not in place,” said Halama. “Hospersa is of the view that the protection of health workers is paramount for the fight against COVID-19. Neglecting this plea for safe conditions is putting our members’ lives and the community’s lives at risk at a time when COVID-19 is gaining momentum around the country,” concluded Halama.
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