Unrest placing lives in jeopardy: KZN Health
KwaZulu-Natal’s Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu says the violent protests have impacted the delivery of healthcare in the province.
Simelane-Zulu says the blockading of key routes has made it difficult for people to get to medical facilities.
She says several hospitals, community health centres and clinics have been operating on skeletal staff.
In eThekwini, some clinics and community vaccinations centres have been closed.
KZN Health spokesperson Ntokozo Maphisa says many workers and support staff were unable to report for work due to the blockades and the lack of public transport.
"As government does it's best to deal with this situation, we are pleading with each and every individual to create a situation where health care workers impeded from getting to work.
"Those who are protesting need to realise that by blocking health workers or ambulances from doing their jobs they could be placing the lives of their own relatives in jeopardy."
Patients who were due to undergo elective surgery and those with minor ailments have been advised not to come to hospitals until the situation returns to normal.
"There are scores of people at our hospitals who are fighting for their lives, who need to be attended to by our doctors and nurses as a matter of urgency.
"Some are in critical conditions in ICU, while others are in labour and need to go into theatre. We really cannot afford a situations where lives are lost just because our health care workers cannot get to work."
