At least 17 security guards, four cleaners and a doctor have tested positive for Covid-19 at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital.
This while workers at Esangweni Day Clinic in Tembisa, Ekurhuleni, claim that their pleas for testing have been snubbed despite their contact with a nurse who tested positive for Covid-19.The situation at Charlotte Maxeke, one of the province’s designated Covid-19 health-care facilities, was described as dire, with some workers hesitant to go to work out of fear of being infected. The facility is caring for about 200 Covid-19 patients.

But despite this worker’s claim, the institution has never been closed for deep cleaning in line with regulations. They also say management has never addressed them about what safety measures have been put in place to protect them.

A nurse at the hospital, who declined to be named, said: “The control room has been closed for two weeks because the security guards feel sick.

“Every day, someone new falls sick at the hospital but management is not saying anything. The hospital chief executive is silent and has not addressed staff about the infections. The hospital has not been closed to deep clean and we have Covid-19 patients here.”

Another nurse said that it was known that one doctor had been reinfected after he recovered from the virus.

“He doesn’t work with everyday patients so maybe that is why the hospital is not saying anything about the infection. Nothing was said to the patients or the cleaners that interact with him every day,” he said.

At the Esangweni Day Clinic, workers have accused management of refusing to test them for the respiratory disease after one of the nurses they were in contact with tested positive. The clinic was closed for a day for deep cleaning.

“Instead of testing us, they just told us to continue coming to work. How do we do that if we might be sick and passing it on to our patients?”

National Education Health and Allied Workers Union’s Gauteng secretary, Tshepo Mokheranyana, had promised to respond to the workers’ issues at the Charlotte Maxeke but had not at the time of publication.

Gauteng Health Department was also unable to respond to queries about the Charlotte Maxeke and Esangweni clinic.

The department’s Philani Mhlungu said systems and network lines at the Charlotte Maxeke hospital were down so the institution was unable to respond. He said they had also not received comment from the clinic on staff infections.

Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has said that about 2084 health-care workers across the country have been infected by the disease, with about 80% in the Western Cape, which is the county’s virus epicentre.

Life Healthcare Group said that about 313 of their more than 16 000 staff have tested positive for Covid-19.

Netcare reported about 232 staff members tested positive, two of which had died from disease.

The City of Tshwane informed the public that the FF Ribeiro Clinic was closed from yesterday until Monday after two staff members tested positive for Covid-19.

“All patients will be screened, and the clinic decanted, and patients will be referred to the nearest clinics for service while the FF Ribeiro Clinic remains closed. Return dates have been given to the patients for follow-up consultation,” said city spokesperson Selby Bokaba.”