Two healthcare workers at Bongani Regional Hospital in Welkom, Free State, have been injured after police opened fire with rubber bullets on a group protesting about transportation issues at the facility.

According to Nehawu’s Free State chairperson, Moeketsi Napo, government departments rendering essential services committed to providing essential workers with transport when the lockdown got underway last week. Healthcare workers are defined as essential workers.

However, on Tuesday, the hospital’s CEO put a stop to the transport which collected workers from their homes.

“Workers were not happy about this issue. When they were at the gates [of the hospital], they were shot [at] with rubber bullets and two workers were injured,” Napo said.

Both injured workers were receiving medical care at Bongani Hospital and MediClinic.

He added that hospital management had called police, saying workers were not allowing patients access.

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Napo said Nehawu had intervened in the matter and had engaged the Free State Department of Health and the hospital.

“Apparently, the issue of transport has been sorted out. The workers will be collected by government vehicles from tonight.”

Resource issue

Another challenge for the healthcare workers was a lack of resources to fight Covid-19, Napo said.

“In some institutions, including Bongani Hospital, workers were having a challenge with personal protective clothing, but items such as sanitisers, gloves and facemasks were provided, even if there were not enough.

“It’s a challenge countrywide… but we have raised this same with the Minister of Health.”

Napo added that the main issue healthcare workers at Bongani Hospital faced was transport to and from work, as public transport had become too costly during the lockdown period.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) spokesperson, Sontaga Seisa, confirmed that protesting workers had blocked anyone entering or exiting the hospital, including patients and doctors. 

“The POPs has to use means to get entrance unblocked,” Seisa said.

News24 contacted the police for comment. It will be added once received.