Several hospitals hit hard by public sector strike

Strike-compromised doctors and nurses in several major hospitals in three provinces battled to care for patients on Tuesday as protesters blocked access to facilities, forcing the cancellation of surgeries and emergency treatment.

Worst hit were Chris Hani Baragwanath and Sebokeng hospitals in Gauteng and Grey’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. 

In the Eastern Cape, singing and chanting protestors gained access to Livingstone Hospital in Gqebera, marching between wards and disrupting doctors’ ward rounds. 

The NU8 Clinic in the Nelson Mandela metro municipality was also disrupted, while the Dora Nginza Provincial Hospital in nearby Zwide contended with morning stay-aways and protests, creating protracted waiting times. 

A “no work, no pay” rule was applied by the Eastern Cape health department.