PARAMEDICS NOT PREPARED TO GO BACK TO WORK

MBABANE – Paramedics are not prepared to go back to work until government gives in to their demands.

The paramedics want an urgent enquiry to be instituted by either the Minister of Health or Parliament on the irregularities in the operations of the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) unit. 

They are also demanding for personal protective equipment (PPE), overtime allowance and working resources.  

National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU) President Oscar Nkambule said they had, on several occasions, informed government about the concerns they had but they (government) never bothered to engage them.

He said it was for this reason that they had decided to remove themselves from work.

Crisis 

He said paramedics were responding to the current COVID-19 crisis and required  PPE. According to Nkambule, what they had gathered from their membership was that management had said the employees did not need PPE. This, he said, was very disheartening. Nkambule said it was the same issue with the Fire Department, which had a similar challenge and was buying PPE from their own pockets. “Currently, employees use masks and gloves which do not protect them,” he said.

Furthermore, he said they saw the Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi, receiving PPE from donors, but they were not given any. 

Nkambule said victimisation of employees, intimidation and name calling within the institution was intense, which was why they were pushing for an enquiry. Also he said there was an issue of open contracts.

The president alleged that relatives and friends were hired by the EPR authorities and most were placed at Sibane under the COVID-19 response team. “This team is getting PPE and overtime while the other employees are being ignored,” he said.

He stated that workers were not engaging in a strike, but had removed themselves from danger as per Section 18(2) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 2001. 

Remove 

The Act stipulates that; “An employee shall have the right to remove himself or herself from danger when such an employee has reasonable justification to believe there is imminent and serious risk to the safety and health of that employee.”

The president said yesterday they were applying the Act and would continue to be inside the work premises, but will not expose themselves by engaging in any duties. 

Nkambule said they would continue to demonstrate inside the EPR offices’ premises until government responds. “If government does not respond, we will then come up with a plan to deliver a petition to the Ministry of Health and Cabinet.”

He stated that the regulations were there on paper, but the ministry did not follow them. Nkambule said they would relay the message to the acting head of government as it was his right to know that his government was not providing them with the necessary tools to work. 

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Chairperson Sihle Dlamini reiterated Nkambule’s sentiments. 

Dlamini said unless government responds to their demands, they would continue to remove themselves from work as means to protect themselves from possible danger. She said since the first COVID-19 pandemic case was reported in the country, over half of the paramedics have been infected and affected. “I am one of those who was affected and had to be admitted to the Lubombo Referral Hospital,” she said. Dlamini said some of the paramedics were receiving treatment. During the first wave she stated that a group of 20 were infected with COVID-19.

The chairperson said there was a team which had received the PPE. These she said were those who were booked at Bethel Court since March. “The critical part is that the paramedics on the ground do not have PPE, yet they attend to patients without knowing their status,” she added.

Exposed 

Dlamini said those at Bethel Court attended to patients whose COVID-19 status was known that they were positive. Both groups, she said were equally exposed and required PPE. 

Dlamini mentioned that even after handling the COVID-19 patients, they did not have time to disinfect the ambulances. She said COVID-19 had long-term effects including tiredness, chest pains and difficulty in breathing among others. 

When reached for comment on the matter, Director of Health Services Dr Vusi Magagula said some of the concerns by the paramedics were genuine. 

Dr Magagula said these included the issue of overtime, which dated back to 2014, that was being addressed, but the process was slow. “The process involves submitting to the Ministry of Public Service to authorise among other processes,” he said.

He said according to his information, PPE was provided and shared among all health workers. Meanwhile, he stated that voicing concerns was allowed and acceptable as they were employees, but it was important to consider that government processes took time.

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