TimesLIVE reports that the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) on Thursday warned that nurses in Gauteng were overwhelmed, overburdened and at risk of burnout as Covid-19 cases in the country soared above 13,000 over a 24-hour period.
The union’s Bongani Mazibuko said: “They are losing their colleagues and loved ones in the process, so the nurses are not coping at the moment. But it is not only nurses, we are even seeing it with doctors.” He reported that the workload was intense, and healthcare workers at times pulled 72-hour shifts or worked 7am to 7pm for up to four to five days a week. “It means you are going to have people coming to work but they lack the willpower to work because there is so much work and they are not getting enough time to rest and recuperate,” Mazibuko pointed out. He added that he was “extremely worried” with the rising number of cases in the province: “We have a shortage of beds and a shortage of nurses and according to us, Gauteng is not in a position to properly cope with plans for the third wave.” He called on the provincial government to reopen the Nasrec field hospital, open a centre in Tshwane and appoint more nurses. “The private sector is already almost at full capacity and the public sector is already not coping. Where are the patients going to go?” he asked.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Iavan Pijoos at TimesLIVE
- See too, Covid-19: Gauteng suspends visiting hours at all public health facilities, at News24
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page