25 June 2007
All staff members that fall under the essential services category are to
return to their work stations to save the lives of thousands of patients who
need healthcare in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
Head of Department, Dr Busi Nyembezi, made the call today encouraging the
remainder of essential services staff who are still on strike to resume their
duties bearing in mind that most staff are back at their work stations.
She further assured staff that security measures are in place at clinics and
hospitals seeing that the intimidation levels were high at some hospitals. If
staff members are threatened in any way, they must report threats to the police
as intimidation is a crime.
Our healthcare facilities will remain open all the time and members of the
public are encouraged to use them. People who do not have money should not go
to private institutions, without our referral documentation, expecting the
department to pay for their treatment. The department will only pay for those
patients that were referred to the private institutions by our facilities.
The department wishes to remind relatives of people who have their family
members in our institutions that there is a hotline number that people can use
to make enquiries about their relatives in our hospitals. Anyone who wishes to
know how a patient is doing at any hospital in KZN can call the Operation
Centre on a toll free number: 0800 005 133. The Operation Centre will call the
hospital and make enquiries about the patient and call the relative back home
with information.
Enquiries:
Mr Leon Mbangwa
General Manager: Corporate Communication
Cell: 083 459 8695
Dr Busi Nyembezi
Cell: 083 459 1172
Issued by: Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
25 June 2007
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government (http://www.kwazulunatal.gov.za/)
