Pixabay (stock image)
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) has called on its members not to risk their lives going to work as the Government won't take any form of responsibility.
DENOSA says the riots in Johannesburg and Durban have put a major strain on their services which resulted in vaccination programmes being halted.
The Acting General Secretary Cassim Lekhoathi says nurses have to deal with emergency patients that later turned out to test positive for Covid-19.
He says the unrest contributes to the spread of the virus as the riots have become super spreader events.
The Organisation says in Durban, not only has the supply of medication to clinics and other community healthcare centres been cut off, but the looters have started to demolish clinics.
Lekhoathi says some nurses have been stuck at work since Sunday, while others have been unable to get to work due to unreliable public transport.
He says it is time for Government to step up and provide the necessary assistance.
Meanwhile, the SA Medical Association (SAMA) has once again called on the police and the SANDF to protect doctors and other healthcare workers in the volatile areas of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
