Eastern Cape health staff allegedly told to stay silent about testing positive for Covid-19 - report

Health workers in the Eastern Cape are allegedly being told by managers not to reveal their positive Covid-19 status in case this leads to their colleagues staying away from work.  

At least two people — one a nurse and the other a driver — have allegedly been told to keep their status hidden, but the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) has claimed such cases are widespread in the province.  

The nurse and driver work at the Butterworth and Tafalofefe hospitals.  

A source at Butterworth Hospital told DispatchLIVE a colleague in the maternity ward was told not to report her positive status.

“We are told not to tell our colleagues about our results. These senior officials are desperate to hide this while people are dying,” said the source.

Six other health workers in the Butterworth Hospital maternity ward have tested positive for the virus, though it is believed they were not infected by their colleague.

Since Friday, staff in the maternity ward have refused to work.

“We want this entire maternity ward to be deep-cleaned and decontamination must be done. If we have seven workers who are positive, what about the mothers who gave birth? What about those infants? Are they safe?”

A source at Tafalofefe Hospital said two colleagues who were in contact with a hospital clerk who died last week had since tested positive. One of the staffers, a driver, was asked not to tell his colleagues about his status. 

“We are not going to tolerate this nonsense. We cannot be treated like this while our colleagues are told not to report cases. This is going to kill workers who are on the frontline. We are not going to have this. A colleague has been forced to keep quiet,” the woman said.

On Monday, medical personnel at Tafalofefe Hospital protested and demanded they be provided with personal protective equipment, including aprons, boots, gowns and head gear.

“All we have is gloves and face shields. We are fighting this battle with our bare hands,” one said.

The two health workers' cases were reported to Denosa.

Confirming the complaints, Denosa provincial secretary Khaya Sodidi said these were not isolated incidents in the Eastern Cape.

“We are facing a challenge where managers are telling staff to keep mum. It's happening all over the province now,” Sodidi alleged.

Sodidi said the Eastern Cape health department had “run out of ideas” to contain the spread of Covid-19.

“ Our members are told to keep quiet and not tell their colleagues. First they were told not to report patients who have tested positive. When we fought that, now they are told to keep mum and get special leave,” said Sodidi.

“When health minister Zweli Mkhize visited us here, he said the numbers were not adding up. These managers are encouraging the spread and the numbers in the Eastern Cape are out of control. We will lose more in this province.”

Provincial health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo had not responded to queries by print deadline on Monday.

- DispatchLIVE