Kalafong hospital service disrupted as staff demand CEO'S removal

Services were disrupted on Wednesday at the Kalafong hospital in Atteridgville as staff members demanded the removal of the hospital's CEO.

Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa)  regional chairperson in Tshwane, Bongani Banda, said workers took matters into their own hands specifically around the conduct of CEO Sello Matjila, who is being accused of intimidating staff, among other things.

“The issue was raised by  Denosa and other trade unions with the department, however, there was no communication that was cascaded on intervening, particularly on this issue and the fellow who is the CEO there continued with doing the very same conduct of intimidating, victimising, maladministration and other conduct.

"Today the workers demanded his removal from the institution and we engaged with the department that was deployed to be there and the agreement was that the fellow will be put on special leave until the matters are resolved,” Banda said.

Banda said the special leave was effective from Wednesday.

“When he was still around, what he did also was the issue of cancelling the performance bonuses for all employees and wanting to give them a rating that does not give them any bonus. Further to that he intended to suspend the shop steward of the institution, that is why the members got angry, because leaders that they had elected to represent them were now being intimidated, victimised and suspended," Banda said.

He said after the discussions, those processes were withheld and they were not going to proceed with them.

Banda said workers' demands were clear as they wanted the removal of the CEO.

When TimesLIVE visited the hospital on Wednesday evening, there was debris of burnt tires on the road in front of the hospital and at the hospital entrance.

Silence stretched through the area as there were no patients on-site, except employees who were knocking off and those who were going in the hospital for their shift.

A worker at the hospital, who did not want to be named, said staff members blocked the road and burnt tires to block the road and the entrance.

The woman said staff went through the ward to voice out their dissatisfaction, causing service disruption as patients were turned away.

TimesLIVE

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