The National Department of Health confirms that the public healthcare facilities countrywide will be fully functional tomorrow, 29 May 2009, despite the planned unprotected strike action by the public health doctors.
The department further confirms that the more than 80% of the country's citizens, who depend on the country's public health institutions for clinical care, will receive their services.
Only some doctors employed in three of the country's provinces namely: Limpopo, Gauteng, and Eastern Cape are expected to participate in the unprotected strike. Measures are in place to ensure that patients that present to hospital will be attended to. There are more than 14 000 employed doctors, part-time and full-time, in the public health sector.
All provinces will implement contingency plans to ensure that access to healthcare services remains uninterrupted at all healthcare facilities. The department only utilises South African Military Health Services doctors as a last resort should the working staff be overburdened with the workload.
The department reiterates its commitment to the negotiation processes currently under way in the Public Health and Social Development Sectoral Bargaining Council (PHSDSBC) and the speedy resolution of this matter. Equally, the department recommits itself to the continuing discussions with professional associations on matters that seek to improve the quality of health services and the strengthening of the health system.
It is therefore deeply regrettable that it has now become a habit for health unions, especially those representing medical doctors, to abandon their patients in order to participate in unlawful protest action. The trade unions are fully aware of the dispute resolution processes that are available to them in order to deal with grievances of their members who are essential services employees. It is therefore well known that doctors, amongst others, are by law prohibited from participating in strike action.
In the interim, the negotiation processes regarding the Occupational Specific Dispensation (OSD) will continue on 8, 9, 11 and 12 June 2009. This follows a request by the trade unions for further extensive consultation with their members. Given the status quo, this has delayed the swift finalisation of the matter and concluding of a collective agreement, bearing in mind that the unprotected strike impacts negatively on the negotiation process.
For more information, kindly contact:
Mr Vukani Mnyandu
Cell: 083 923 0261
Tel: 012 312 0663/0486
E-mail: mnyanv@health.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Health
28 May 2009
