Health Workers Bring Dora to a Standstill

The out-patient reception at Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha is usually packed and busy with staff and patients, but on Wednesday the area was nearly empty amidst a strike by nurses and supporting staff.

Workers, mostly nurses, have been striking since Monday at Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha over unpaid overtime.

• This has meant that most patients have been turned away and procedures delayed.
• Unions blamed the Eastern Cape health department for failing to fix the health system in the province, especially staff shortages, despite numerous concerns raised by unions, and civic groups.
• The department has since said workers will start receiving their overtime payments from 10 February.

Staff at Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha have brought most activity and procedures at the facility to a standstill this week. Some nurses are on a go-slow strike while many others have been staging protesting outside the hospital, demanding their overtime pay.

On Monday and Tuesday, workers gathered at the main gate and set alight tyres. On Wednesday morning, the main gates were locked, blocking entry to both some nurses and patients. But a few protesting nurses managed to get in and disrupted wards and other activities.

On Thursday morning, union representatives and striking staff gathered at the facility to discuss the impasse.

Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) Eastern Cape chairperson, Vuyo Dlanga, blamed the department for not “adhering to the method for outstanding overpay as agreed last year”.

He said union representatives had notified the hospital management about the strike. “Our members were inside and only went out to picket. That’s when they were locked out. We have heard that the employer plans to take stern action against employees, but as a union we’ll be monitoring this.”

Provincial secretary of the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers, Mzikazi Nkatha, said, “The main grievance was that overtime payments had not been paid since October 2024. Workers are forced to work overtime due to staff shortages. This is a major problem across the Eastern Cape.”

Nkatha blamed the department for failing to fix the health system in the province despite numerous concerns raised by unions, and civic groups. “The department is not bringing a solution to the problem despite us engaging them since 2024. We are now faced with angry workers,” said Nkatha.

Nkatha said the strike at Dora Nginza was a reflection of the situation at all health facilities, not just hospitals in the province.

GroundUp spoke to several patients who were turned back from Dora Nginza Hospital. Most of them had travelled from areas outside Gqeberha.

A mother who brought her young son from Makhanda for an operation on his broken arm was turned away. She said they woke up early to catch the department’s free patient transport to Gqeberha.

“I am dumbfounded and desperate,” she said. “My son is in constant pain. There are no nurses to attend to anyone so we are forced to go back home. A receptionist told us that we should keep enquiring with our local hospital to check when the strike is over. They did not even give him pain killers.”

Thozama Mjekula of Wells Estate collects her chronic medication from Dora Nginza every two months. “I saw people in wheelchairs being sent back home. I’m unemployed so I can’t even afford to buy medication from pharmacies,” said Mjekula.

Eastern Cape Department of Health spokesperson Siyanda Manana warned that striking nurses and staff would be subjected to disciplinary proceedings. Manana confirmed that the department sent a team to the Nelson Mandela Bay district to deal with the problems at Dora Nginza.

“Workers blockaded the gate, denying both patients as well as staff entry to the premises. We also heard of staff being forced out of the wards by the striking employees and the fact that the kitchen was closed, denying patients food. We assure the public that there will definitely be consequences.”

Manana said payments of monies owed will run on 5 February and should start reflecting in workers accounts by 10 February.

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