GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - Historical photos of pre-'94 white governmental and medical leaders were removed from Midland Hospital walls and carried out of the building by the Eastern Cape National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu), as an act of healing the process of democracy and enhancing transformation.
As part of an Eastern Cape Provincial visit to institutions where Nehawu members are employed, they visited the East Cape Midlands College, Midland Hospital and the Department of Social Development in Graaff-Reinet on 17 June.
Sweetness Stokwe, Regional Secretary for Nehawu, said the purpose of their visit was to meet with the management of the institutions, make sure that the college is ready and safe to open and welcome students and to ensure that all the workplaces comply with the Covid-19 personal protection equipment (PPE) rules, as set out by National Government.
The Midland Hospital Nehawu Chairperson, Sindile January, said they ironed out others issues like racism, nepotism and favouritism at the hospital.
"We were happy for our province, together with the regional executive, to visit us and we managed to discuss a lot of things happening in our institution regarding the safety of our members in terms of PPE's, screening of staff as well as people visiting our hospital, the way things are supposed to be done. We also mentioned the shortage of doctors," January said.
January lashed out about the fact that there is no pictures of President Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize, Eastern Cape Minister of Health Sindiswa Gomba, or the Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar Mabuyane.
The old pictures were removed with immediate effect. "They cannot be there after 26 years of democracy. We have people who still honour the racist government of apartheid," said January.
Nehawu called on the MEC to address the issue of transformation in the hospital, which according to them is not addressed in the hospital. Stokwe could not be reached for further comment.
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