In a letter to Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, the Solidarity Occupational Guild for Healthcare Practitioners called for stringent measures to be put in place to ensure the health and safety of healthcare practitioners.

“We are shocked to learn of the extremely dangerous conditions in which our members are expected to work. The purpose of this letter, on the one hand, is to remind the minister of his duty to healthcare personnel and also to make our members aware of their own rights in the workplace. A crisis does not mean that your own rights are being diluted,” said Henru Kruger, sector head of the Solidarity Occupational Guild for Healthcare Practitioners. 

In addition to the letter, Solidarity also released a set of guidelines outlining the rights and duties of top management as well as those of the guild’s members.

“Amid the COVID-19 crisis, all resources must be utilised and everyone must be prepared to go the extra mile. Our members are already charged with immense responsibility towards the public. However, the health department must do its bit as well. Healthcare practitioners’ right to practice their profession in a safe working environment does not come at the expense of the public’s health – it is actually necessary for their health,” Kruger said.  
 
The Occupational Guild calls on all stakeholders to act responsibly and with the utmost care in this tremendously uncertain time.
 
“Everyone has a duty to ensure they do everything in their power to fight the virus. Our members do not hesitate to do their part. That is exactly why we are currently not considering strike action. At such times, however, failure to act on the part of the Department can have disastrous consequences for our members as well as for their patients,” Kruger concluded.
 

Issued by Solidarity