NEHAWU is deeply concerned by the reports of alleged patient neglect, bureaucratic bungling and carelessness in hospitals all around the country that has sometimes resulted in loss of lives. We expect the department of Health to take full responsibility for shoddy management and resourcing of these health facilities and we call for urgent investigations of all these cases and that appropriate action be taken against those found to be directly responsible.

The union demands that the Department of Health starts implementing all of its proposals like the establishment of the health watchdog body that shall set national standards for both public and private health facilities. This will go a long way to improve the service standards in our clinics and hospitals and will greatly assist in turning around the ailing health sector through the introduction of the National Health Insurance system.

The good policies of the department need to be supported by action on the ground and they will only be useful and effective if the department addresses the challenges that face our hospitals. The reality is that our hospitals are understaffed, poorly equipped, under resourced and overburdened. This, combined with poor remuneration creates disillusionment and depression of some health practitioners which then results in cases of neglect and all other identified problems.

We therefore call for the department to stop outsourcing in the health sector and instead fill all vacant posts that exist nationally. The department should address the issue of the shortage of experienced managers and inadequate management systems. We call for greater investment in the sector in order to boost its capacity to deliver. Currently, we witness huge workloads and work related stress in health facilities which result to high rate of resignations, absentism and late coming which causes poor service delivery.

NEHAWU wants to make it clear that it does not condone and in fact strongly condemns any inappropriate behaviour and recklessness even from our own members. We therefore, call on all our members to expose any untoward behaviour and also to adopt the spirit of service and serve our people with dignity, integrity and respect in line with our commitment to Batho Pele.