ANA reports that about 60 workers on the expanded public works programme (EPWP) at the Kalafong hospital in Pretoria have complained about contracting illnesses due to not being vaccinated beforehand like regular employees.  

This was reported on Monday by the Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) shadow member of the executive council for health, Jack Bloom.  He indicated in a statement that the EPWP workers, who had been employed at the hospital since February 2018 as cleaners, general workers and kitchen staff, said they had spoken to management and officials at the department of infrastructure development (DID), which runs the programme, but were brushed aside and threatened.  “It seems that they were never vaccinated because they came from DID instead of being employed directly by the hospital.  This oversight has affected their health, leading to frequent work absences,” Bloom said.  He has referred the issue to the SA Human Rights Commission as the workers’ rights to work in a safe environment have been violated.

• Read the original of the report on this story at The Citizen
• Read Jack Bloom’s press statement at Polity

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