Services at the once well-functioning Zithulele Hospital are at a crossroads following more protests relating to unhappiness over the appointment two years ago of a new CEO and attempts to move a seasoned doctor to another facility.
Outrage at the decision to remove Dr Nick Fine, a family medicine specialist, from the iconic rural hospital in the Eastern Cape and transfer him to a large academic hospital in Mthatha, led to a strike that shut down the hospital and saw patients evacuated to other facilities.
There are now fears there will be an exodus of other vital clinical staff, the Daily Maverick reports.
It has been two years since the hospital, which became a well-functioning rural facility under the leadership of Dr Karl le Roux, now a DA MP, and Dr Ben Gaunt (who left under duress in 2022), was plunged into dysfunction after the appointment of new CEO Nolubabalo Fatyela.
Court order
After a stressful weekend when patients had to be evacuated to nearby hospitals as Zithulele faced a total shutdown, the Eastern Cape Department of Health obtained a court order to force staff to return to work.
The protest was followed on Tuesday by the suspension of seven staff, some of whom had been on leave at the time of the strike.
Le Roux said they had started engaging with the Eastern Cape Health Department, raising their concerns that the CEO, who was appointed in 2023, was not a good fit for the hospital.
‘Willing to listen’
Mkhululi Ndamase, spokesperson for Health MEC Ntadokazi Capa, confirmed “some employees” had been served with suspension letters.
“This is part of the internal disciplinary process … following the unprotected strike that compromised health and care services.
“Health is an essential service. When we intend to charge employees, it’s when our regulations are not adhered to. We can also confirm there is no war as workers returned to work today,” Ndamase said.
But community sources say they fear there will be an exodus of clinical staff from the hospital after the high-handed treatment of Fine, and staff and local residents are fighting for him to stay.
The suspensions came hours after Ndamase said the department was “willing to listen” to the grievances of Zithulele staff.
“The department has been granted an interim order by the Eastern Cape High Court (Mthatha) regarding the unprotected strike.
“The interim order, granted on Sunday, has interdicted protesters from continuing …from intimidating employees and patients or causing, influencing, coercing anyone to participate in the protest and to vacate hospital premises. There cannot be any protests within 100m of the hospital gate or fences.”
He said senior managers were meeting with organised labour, the hospital board and district, and Zithulele management in a bid to resolve the conflict.
Unresolved issues
This is the second time the hospital CEO has tried to move Fine back to the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha.
In May, Fine was instructed to move back by 1 June. But community sources confirmed that at a meeting on 28 May, hospital staff said they were fully in support of keeping Fine there, and also confirmed there was mounting antagonism towards Fatyela.
The staff initiated a protest, asking that Fatyela be removed from the hospital.
The district office team promised to return to the community, by 12 June, with answers, but agreed Fine could remain. No answers were ever communicated, and at the end of July, Fine was again instructed to leave Zithulele and report to the Mthatha hospital.
‘Havoc’
According to court papers, the department had agreed to investigate allegations that Fatyela had “caused havoc, chaos, unrest and destabilisation” in the community and with employees, who had also asked that she be investigated for “vocal racism” against white doctors.
Ndamase confirmed that provincial senior managers were in Mthatha on Monday and met organised labour, the hospital board, and district and Zithulele management in a bid to resolve the protests.
“The department will continue with internal disciplinary processes against employees who participated in the illegal protest.”
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Protests at Eastern Cape hospital over doctor’s transfer
Lessons learned from Zithulele