JOHANNESBURG, June (ANA) - The African National Congress in Gauteng has urged authorities to deal firmly with any acts of criminality that puts the lives of hospital patients at risk.
In a statement issued on Sunday following the ANC's Gauteng provincial executive committee (PEC) meeting on Friday, ANC Gauteng provincial secretary Hope Papo said the PEC had noted "with shock and disapproval the unprecedented escalation of destructive and life-threatening industrial action among workers in the health sector where patients have now become the target".
"We call on the authorities to deal firmly with any acts of criminality that puts the lives of patients at risk. At the same time, we call on the Gauteng department of health and the unions to find an urgent amicable solution to the current dispute on bonuses in the best interests of patients, he said.
Workers at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital went on strike this week over wages and bonuses. According to media reports, workers went on the rampage on Thursday, emptying trash bins and medical supplies into corridors and even threatening patients.
- African News Agency (ANA)
