This comes just a few weeks after healthcare workers in the country participated in a nationwide protest. 

The departmental spokesperson, Tebogo Lekgethwane, says MEC Madoda Sambatha’s visit comes after the hospital employees allegedly refused to work. He says last week the workers apparently protested within the facility's premises and further disrupted health service delivery. Lekgethwane adds that even though the management gave a report which suggested that there was progress in addressing the troubles besieging the hospital, the impasse between management and workers continued.  

“The MEC will also visit the Pudumong Clinic to assess health service delivery and intervene to unlock any service delivery challenges,” he adds. 

In August, members of the National Education, Health, and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) held a nationwide strike over salaries and alleged inaction by the government to protect healthcare employees during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

Healthcare workers who have been in the frontline requested adequate and improved health and safety working conditions in hospitals and medical facilities, including sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE). In the same month of August, Sambatha reiterated his call that healthcare workers should not work without PPE. He said although there is a lack of PPEs at some health care facilities in the province - due to increased usage - health workers should not attend to patients without wearing the equipment.

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