South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members have been deployed to Thelle Mogoerane Regional Hospital in Vosloorus following the Nehawu strike. The hospital is one of the hardest hit by The National Education, Health, and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) strike which enters its second week on Monday.

However, during his visit to the hospital, Health Minister Joe Phaahla said the SANDF's deployment was not in response to Nehawu's statement vowing to intensify the strike on Monday. He said he visited the hospital even on Saturday and noticed that it was badly affected and violent threats were intensifying.?

INACTIVITY CONCERNS?

Minister Phaahla said they have been concerned about the inactivity at Thelle Mogoerane after staff members who are affiliated with Nehawu have abandoned their posts last week over wage a increase. "You can imagine this big regional hospital with 800 beds plus a number of health centres not having anyone to attend to patients," he says. "It was key that we do everything to make sure that the hospital is functional. It is also quite clear that the main issue is that of fear amongst health care professionals who are willing to work and we have a number of staff that want to come back but because there are people blocking the streets and threatening them with violence, they  can't take the risk."?

TIGHTENING SECURITY?

Minister Phaahla visited the hospital on Saturday but said the entrances were blocked with stones and debris of tyres. "That was a very intimidating atmosphere. That's why we discussed with the SAPS and Ekurhuleni Metro Police that we need to have visible security so that the staff members who want to come to work can feel safe to do so," he adds. "People must be able to exercise their own freedom. Those who want to stay home because they are on strike or want to come and sing, should do so but not interfere with others." Phaahla added that the military health care services were brought in to assist in taking care of patients and the deployment had been finalised by Saturday, a day before Nehawu issued their statement about continuing with their strike. "This was just to increase measures to eliminate fear from patients and workers. We've had to ask for the military health services to assist with the running of the hospital. It's only just over 20 military nurses who have come to our aid and they were initially assisting in Klerksdorp which is now calm. Also by protocol where the nurses are deployed their military colleagues have to be there to protect them and make sure they are secured,' Phaahla added.?

MORE DEATHS?

Phaahla said they are getting reports of deaths linked to the strike. "It's more than four now and we are getting from other provinces. For example with the situation here, 50 babies are cared for by 20 nurses in the neonatal ward but only three nurses have been managing to sneak in because of the strike. Some babies are premature so we can say that if there's a baby that dies we will likely link it to the strike because The professionals that were meant to tend to them were outside.' He added that Nehawu served the department with a notice to strike on 24 February after wage negotiations deadlocked. The department offered a 4.7% increase while unions demanded between 10% and 12%.