HOSPERSA TO MARCH AGAINST CORRUPTION AND MALADMINISTRATION IN NORTH WEST PUBLIC HEALTH

Hospersa in the North West province is requesting members of the media to attend a march to address corruption and maladministration in the province’s public health department. The march will also raise concerns on the high levels of staff shortages as well as occupational health and safety in the province.

The North West province came under the spotlight in July when violent protests broke out when the public demanded improved service delivery. The protest action affected the delivery of health care and soon after it emerged that the provincial health department had appointed a temporary employment services agency to source candidates for positions of health professionals and hospitality staff as well as the outsourcing of ambulance services. The appointment of this service provider sparked more protests which led to the stoning and vandalising of the North West provincial office and ambulances burned. Hospersa did not endorse this action and looked for other methods at addressing this issue.

The Union wrote a letter to the Minister of Health asking him to immediately direct the North West Department of Health to suspend the contract which came into effect in June 2017 and to further investigate the contract’s necessity, the fairness of the rates charged by the service provider and the source of its funding. The Union also questioned the rationale of employing temporary workers instead of filling vacant funded posts.

Hospersa has organised this march to put pressure on the Department of Health in the North West to address the outsourcing saga. A memorandum will be handed to the Provincial Head of Department of Health, to raise concerns on the awarding of this contract, the prevailing maladministration, staff shortages as well as occupational health and safety issues in the province.