HOSPERSA: Health-workers being pushed to breaking point
A union, representing
public and private healthcare workers, has warned the surge in COVID-19
infections, recently, could push our healthcare system to the brink of
collapse.
HOSPERSA says staff and medical facilities are already overwhelmed - as we continue to move towards the peak of the outbreak. The union's Kevin Halama says healthcare members are being pushed to their breaking point:
“The system is bucking under pressure,” Halama said.
“We have chronic levels of staff shortages which is now being exacerbated by staff members going into quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19.”
“We have also notice there is non-compliance of COVID-19 regulations in a number of facilities in the Department of Health whereby when a staff member tests positive there is no fumigation that takes place,” Halama added.
Halama says many workers feel discouraged by the dire situation.
“The corruption and maladministration that has been reported on, it
Further adds to the anxiety to workers at the Department of Health,” Halama claims.
“What they see is money that has been looted, money that was supposed to be used to procure PPE, which is critically short in the department,” Halama said.