GREYTOWN HOSPITAL – PREMISES CLEANING CHALLENGE.
DURBAN – it has come to the notice of the office of the Democratic Nursing Organization of South Africa (DENOSA) in KwaZulu-Natal that the facility, as indicated here above, is faced with a dire situation whereby the cleaning company on site has terminated the contract for cleaning the premises. The greatest concern is that as things stand, for almost a week now, the facility has not been cleaned and that, in itself, is placing the safety/wellness of patients and staff under enormous risk of ailments and infections. One can only imagine the state of wards, corridors, casualty, medical and maternity wards including non-clinical sections.
Discussions have been held with the authorities of the Department of Health, but up to now, there is no concrete plan to avert the situation that could turn into a disaster. This development is raising a lot of questions with regard to the department’s contingency plans when such problems surface. It is thus a ‘wait and see’ situation up until a new contract is awarded by the department.
NOTING ALL OF THE ABOVE, WE AS THIS OFFICE HEREBY PROPOSE THAT;
• We hereby appeal to the Department of Health to speed up the process of sourcing a new cleaning company at the health facility in question.
• Meanwhile we have also made a proposal for temporary means to be made for cleaning to be carried out.
• Often such gaps usually lead to nurses being abused to perform non-nursing duties, a development that can never be accepted and tolerated.
• Our nurses are already faced with an alarming shortage of personnel; thus we strongly oppose any added extra duties.
• To the Department of Health, this situation must be attended to as a matter of URGENCY! Failure to comply would be tantamount to a deliberate violation of Occupational Health and Safety Regulations and Infection Control Guidelines.
END
Andile Mbeje – Provincial Secretary – 072 553 1636
DENOSA KWAZULU-NATAL – Communications and Publicity
National Department of Health (South Africa)DENOSA KwaZulu- Natal
