THE repeat strike action by state paramedics this weekend sent health authorities a strong message – they are capable of bringing emergency services to a standstill if their grievances are continually and inadequately addressed.
For the hundreds of Emergency Medical and Rescue Services (EMRS) personnel in Zululand who put their lives at risk every day, the reported failure to pay danger allowance to emergency care officers since 2007, is seen as a ‘slap in the face’.
And while one sympathises with the frustration of employees over cumbersome negotiation channels that have yielded no results to date, the violent and despicable acts of strikers outside Empangeni on Friday were inexcusable and unacceptable.
Innocent and vulnerable patients being transported to local hospitals in a bus were subjected to the fury of strikers and subsequently injured after protestors stoned the vehicle. Just more than a month ago two ambulances were torched and paramedics on duty were robbed of their cellphones in the uThungulu District. This clearly did nothing to bring about a resolution.
Instead the latest irresponsible behaviour questions the integrity of employees in this esteemed profession, who from ‘helpers’ became ‘attackers’ overnight.
The emergency and paramedic profession has always been viewed as a ‘caring and compassionate’ line of work.
So, to attack patients travelling to hospital ironically indicates that they ‘don’t really care’ about the subjects whom they help daily.
More alarming is the number of patients who were denied treatment and subsequently died because they were not transported to Durban hospitals through the EMRS transport referral system.
And yet in a life and death situation, our very well-being rests in the hands of these lifesaving paramedics. The wrong message is being disseminated through such despicable acts.
The health department needs to go back to the drawing board now and resolve the dispute relating to alleged unfair dismissals and the failure to pay out specified remuneration. Delaying tactics are not an option.
Largely ignoring the demands of workers only leads to destruction and more harm to Zululand patients.
