Patients are unlikely to suffer under the looming national public services strike as Settlers Hospital management says they are ready and prepared to take action.
Patients are unlikely to suffer under the looming national public services strike as Settlers Hospital management says they are ready and prepared to take action.
“Our first contingency plan is that we offer an essential service and we hope that medical professionals will not strike,” says Settlers Hospital Manager, Bongiwe Moyake. However, she said should a strike materialise they have a plan.
“We will call on all the retired medical professionals, those on leave or off duty, to come and assist,” she said confidently.
Moyake said she has never seen a strike involving medical professionals take place in the ten years she has been working for the Grahamstown Health Department.
“There have been threats and petitions but never a full blown strike.”
Real lives, not packages
Although Moyake has not received any queries from the public, she said she is very concerned.
“We are rendering an essential service, we are not dealing with packages but with real lives.”
She also mentioned that all levels of management will be involved.
“It is essential to have supervisors and managers on duty if the strike occurs.”
Grahamstown Primary Health Care Manager, Nikiwe Mthoba, said they are aware of the looming strike but had not yet received any formal communication from their provincial office. She says that Sizwe Khupelo, the provincial deputy for communications from the Provincial Communications Office, may have further information on the strike. Several attempts to contact his office were unsuccessful.
