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May 12 is a day nurses are supposed to celebrate as the world marks International Nurses Day, but some nurses in the Western Cape said there was nothing to rejoice about as they risked their lives on the front line of Covid-19.
More than 100 health workers at Tygerberg Hospital, including nurses, porters, and general workers, interrupted the day’s event, at which the Nomafrench Mbombo Provincial Health MEC was to speak to them.
Instead, they demonstrated outside the hospital to highlight their plight during the Covid-19 pandemic and mourn the death of their colleague, Ntombizakithi Ngidi, who died over the weekend.
Despite being on the coal side of the Covid-19 fight, many said they did not feel appreciated and that Nurses Day made no sense to us.
They alleged that despite several staff members testing positive for Covid-19, the hospital administration has been unable to thoroughly clean the rooms where the staff work, or close the rooms and isolate those who had worked with Covid victims. -19.
Some claimed that despite Ngidi reporting being ill and with symptoms of the virus, her nursing manager allegedly told her to continue working and wear a mask.
Ngidi, who succumbed to Covid-19 on Friday, is the second nurse to die from Covid-19.
Mbombo confirmed on Tuesday that about 200 health workers tested positive for Covid-19, and half of them are nurses. Eleven of the nurses who tested positive for Covid-19 are believed to be at the Khayelitsha Community Health Center (CHC).
In a statement, Tygerberg Hospital said it acknowledged that its employees may experience fear and anxiety after the recent death of a nurse due to Covid-19.
“During this period, the hospital administration would like to unequivocally reassure employees that it is committed to ensuring maximum protection for all against the spread of the coronavirus. The safety of our staff is of utmost importance, which is why we have spent a lot of time consulting employees and union representatives on various concerns raised by staff. Senior management has committed to an association to engage business delegates to collectively address these concerns. “
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