Violent strike action solves nothing

WHILE employees have a right to strike when there are legitimate grievances, this must be done within the parameters of the law.

The violent incidents of last week, which saw two ambulances hijacked and later found torched near eShowe, are not only unacceptable, but senseless and destructive and do nothing to resolve the impasse.

Paramedics on duty risk their lives at night to attend to two hoax distress calls and in addition to being held up and hijacked, their cellphones – their lines of communication – are stolen.

One has to question the actions of rioters in this instance. How does the malicious damage to property settle an ongoing standoff between EMRS staff and the KZN Department of Health?

These ambulances serve hundreds of patients throughout the region on a daily basis and those in the most vulnerable and emergency situations unfortunately suffer the brunt of such selfish acts.

Another important factor is that EMRS services are prescribed as an ‘essential service’ and staff are thus not allowed to participate in strike action during working hours.

In what staff dubbed as a ‘do or die’ shutdown of services, the emergency call centre was closed and distress calls were forwarded to the provincial office.

The referral service at Ngwelezana Hospital was also halted as patients scheduled to consult with specialists in various hospitals in Durban missed their appointments and spent the night on the floor of the hospital reception.

Surely the right to basic healthcare is a constitutional right that cannot be contravened. Patients should not have to pay the price for wage adjustment disputes between an employer and employee.

In a region already plagued with major healthcare shortfalls, emergency personnel now have to contend with fewer ambulances and limited resources.

While the damage costs are being counted after the strike ended on Monday night, one cannot count the loss faced by patients who were denied health services.

It is hoped that the Department of Health will intervene speedily to resolve the outstanding grievances so that lives are not put in jeopardy again.