"It is shameful that our government is so complacent about ending load-shedding, which is resulting in scores of unnecessary deaths in state hospitals. Haitu is getting painful reports every day from nurses regarding shocking conditions that they have to endure because of water and power shortages," says the union in a media statement.

'Forced to choose who lives and dies' 

"Nurses and doctors are forced to make terrible choices over who lives and dies, because if the power cuts and the ventilators cut out, there are simply not enough staff to resuscitate all the patients who depend on life-saving equipment. Can you imagine the impact of load-shedding in a neonatal ward where babies are depending on ventilators to keep them alive?"

The union claims healthcare workers are depressed and despondent because there is "no sense of urgency from the state to take us out of this disaster" and accuses the government of not caring, as the people who are dying are "black and poor".

"If load-shedding was affecting private healthcare facilities the way it is affecting public hospitals, a solution would have been found by now."

'Healthcare workers depressed and despondent'

The union demands that working-class families be compensated for the needless deaths of their loved ones due to power cuts. 

It also calls on the Department of Health to record the number of patients who die daily as a result of load-shedding and make those reports available to the public.

"They used to do this during the Covid-19 pandemic, we received daily updates on the rate of infections and deaths caused by the virus, and this must be implemented for load-shedding deaths as well so that we can hold Eskom responsible."

Haitu previously demanded that all hospitals and public healthcare facilities be exempt from load-shedding and claims that only 77 hospitals out of 400 public healthcare facilities in South Africa are exempt.

'All healthcare facilities to be exempted'

"Not too long ago, we had an inquiry on Life Health Esidimeni to analyse the role played by officials in that disaster, when 140 patients died as a result of neglect by the state. The impact that load-shedding has had is even worse and has resulted in even more unnecessary deaths. This means government officials, including the minister of the Department of Public Enterprises, the Department of Minerals and Energy, the board and executive management of Eskom, must publicly account for the mess that they created."

Haitu is part of the court action to force the state to stop load-shedding and to immediately exempt all hospitals, clinics and healthcare facilities from rolling blackouts. 

"We will be in court later this month to give evidence on the impact of load-shedding on the healthcare system and how this is destroying public health. The lack of reliable energy is a matter of life and death, and we are fed up with the sluggish response from the government in the face of the biggest disaster since Covid-19 hit our shores."

OFM News