Twenty South African National Defence Force (SANDF) nurses have been deployed to Thelle Mogoerane Regional Hospital in Vosloorus amid a National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) wage strike.

Health Minister Joe Phaahla told the media on Monday morning that the nurses were deployed due to shortages caused by the industrial action and not due to Nehawu's threat to intensify the strike.

"This is a matter I have been discussing with Gauteng health MEC and defence minister earlier last week. We have been planning earlier in the week and established a dire need for support. The military is here because there are military nurses to secure them. They are not many. Twenty military nurses are helping at this facility. They arrived on Saturday," the minister said.

According to Phaahla, the Military Health Service officials were relocated from the Klerksdorp Tshepong Complex Hospital to Thelle Mogoerane Regional Hospital.

He said the deployment was a priority at that hospital but added that the health department was also looking for assistance at two facilities in the Vaal.

"We received reports that there were improvements at Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital in Soweto. We are assessing the situation," he added.

More deaths

Phaahla revealed last week that there were four deaths as a direct result of the strike.

On Monday morning, he said more people had died.

"We are getting more [numbers]. I can tell that we are not standing at four [reported deaths]. We want to be cautious with accuracy. We are currently getting all clinical data. At this stage, there are more than four [deaths] that we have received.

"I have heard Nehawu saying [deaths linked to the wage strike] is propaganda. This is not propaganda from the government. People are coming here seeking medical help. We accept that even under the best circumstances, illnesses lead to death.

"That happens when medical staff have tried all interventions. When that intervention is deliberately denied because people who must provide medical care are prevented from entering health facilities, and when people die without medical help, what do you call it?" Phaahla asked.

He added, "if there had been medical intervention, some would have survived".

"Until we get the final reports from clinicians and pathologists, we will still say most deaths are linked to the strike. We are talking about people who died in our facility where they could not be attended to and where health professionals were barred from entering the facility.

"There were wards where 50 children at Thelle Mogoerane [Regional] Hospital were kept at the neonatal wards, and ordinarily, you would have 20 nurses looking after them, and only three had to sneak in to look after them. These are children who are premature and need care. 

"Almost every few minutes, somebody has to check on them. If you have three nurses in a situation where they look after 50 babies, they will be able to provide that care.

"This is not speculation or propaganda. If any of these babies die, we have to link it with the fact that people who should be looking after them were outside and prevented from looking after them."

Phaahla said among the deceased was a 3-year-old in Sebokeng.

He was concerned about the strike's impact in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

"There are several affected facilities in the Eastern Cape. We received reports of people throwing stones at one hospital in that province. [The] Eastern Cape is badly affected by intimidation and violence. In Stanger, KwaZulu-Natal, there were reports of attempts to pull a child from an ambulance. We are following up on the two provinces and are reinforcing security and support," Phaahla said.

Phaahla said he was aware of Nehawu's threats to intensify the strike.

He said the matter should be resolved at the bargaining council and not at health facilities.

"From Nehawu's statement on Sunday, they were very ambivalent about returning to the bargaining council. [Public Service and Administration] Minister Noxolo Kiviet is trying to convince all the parties to return to the bargaining council to ventilate the matter. We are concerned that the hospital can't provide services," he said.

He told the media the department was trying to ensure that a regional hospital with more than 800 beds was fully functional.

"The main issue here is fear. Some employees want to return to their posts. There is a very intimidating atmosphere that we have witnessed here. We then agreed with SAPS and [the] Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department to increase security."

Phaahla added that more patients would be assisted.

"I am happy that staff members would feel safe with a visible security presence. It is still early, but it is promising. People have the right to exercise their [rights].

Those who want to come and sing outside mustn't interfere with those who want to work.

"The message was clear that staff was not coming because of fear. If we remove their fear and show them we take their fear and that of patients seriously, there will be more activity here," the minister said.