More than 21 000 civil servants have been infected by Covid-19, amid warnings that the peak of the outbreak could leave key public service institutions — particularly state hospitals, the prisons and police — scrambling for staff.
Ramaphosa announced the health service would need to recruit 12 000 more nurses, doctors and physiotherapists to deal with the increase in hospital cases. He said trainees and final year tertiary students will be drafted in to help. “Patients won’t have healthcare workers to look after them, as more and more nurses themselves get infected at an alarming rate,” the union said.
Denosa complained that public sector health workers had not received pay increases that were four months overdue from “an unresponsive government”, while they were “working their socks off in fighting Covid-19 and risking their families”. “All this could have been avoided when we called for testing of all frontline workers, especially those in the public sector, so that people could know their status and limit the spread. Even our call for just correctional-service workers to be tested didn’t get the nod,” Maleka complained.
The South African Police Service said officers from police stations closed for decontamination have been temporarily transferred to neighbouring precincts and are still carrying out patrols. “We are calling on officers who have resigned and gone on early retirement to offer their services,” Mogodiseng said.Teachers unions this week demanded the suspension of schooling until after Covid-19 infections have peaked.
Sadtu said schools have already suffered high levels of absenteeism because teachers have taken sick leave, while not enough substitute teachers have been appointed.
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