Military healthcare staff deployed as public health workers embark on strike in South Africa

Military healthcare practitioners in South Africa have been called to come to the rescue of the Department of Health (DOH) as healthcare workers embark on a nationwide strike. 

The DOH called for assistance from their military colleagues in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) after healthcare workers downed tools across the country over unmet demands of at least a 10 per cent wage increase.

The military-trained medical practitioners were deployed to various hospitals on March 8 to relieve the health sector for however long was necessary or until the striking workers returned to their duty posts.

Theor deployment was in accordance with the National Disaster Management Act 2002, which provides “deployment of SANDF personnel to a National Organ of State for the rendering of emergency services”, a statement by South Africa’s Department of Defence said on Monday.

Baxolise Mali, provincial general secretary of the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) justified the strike as a means to drive home their demands.

He said many patients wait in queues for hours to see a doctor because the government had refused to hire more hands and was instead appointing more cabinet members.

“They (patients) stand in long queues because the government is refusing to employ more people to work for Home Affairs, [Department of] Labour and SASSA. Instead, they increase the cabinet. Too many deputy ministers and what work do they have to do?”

“What needs to be done is to create employment so that people get served quickly. That is all we are fighting for. We are not going to compromise,” All Africa quoted Mr Mali as saying on March 7.

He further described the government as reckless in paying “peanuts” to the healthcare workers who were commended for their efforts in saving lives during the pandemic. 

“It is reckless for the government to expect the people who have been praised during the time of Covid for having to work hard in very difficult conditions to serve our people to get peanuts.”