GQEBERHA, Eastern Cape — Healthcare workers at Zwide Clinic in Gqeberha have suspended their strike over critical staff shortages and a lack of essential medication, following urgent interventions by the Eastern Cape Department of Health. The protest, supported by local community members, highlighted severe operational challenges at the facility, most notably the absence of an operational manager since a retirement in November of last year.
The clinic, which is expected to service more than 100 patients daily with essential health services such as chronic medication dispensing, checkups, and family planning, has been operating with only seven nurses per day. This is half of the 14 nurses required for the facility to function at full capacity. The severe understaffing and resource deficits resulted in approximately 100 patients, including vulnerable elderly individuals and infants, being turned away from the facility during the height of the protest.
Mzubanzi Ntshalaba, speaking on behalf of the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW), emphasized that the facility has been operating on “autopilot.” Ntshalaba noted that the lack of leadership has directly impacted staff morale and conduct, as nurses are left without proper supervision. The union highlighted that the burden of patient care has fallen on the remaining employees, leading to high rates of burnout and absenteeism, with no link between the facility and district or sub-district management for leave administration and operational oversight.
Community members echoed these frustrations, reporting that patients sometimes waited for two to three hours only to be turned away without receiving their prescriptions. Residents noted instances where there were no doctors available, critical shortages of basic supplies like needles, and perceived inequities in staff break times while patients continued to wait in cold winter conditions.
In response to the escalating grievances, the Eastern Cape Department of Health acknowledged the concerns raised by the Clinic Committee. A constructive meeting was subsequently held between district management and the committee to address the issues. The department confirmed that it is currently implementing a broader provincial recruitment process designed to strengthen human resources in healthcare facilities, with Zwide Clinic explicitly included in these capacity-enhancement initiatives.
Following the engagement, the department assured the public that Zwide Clinic has reopened and is now fully operational, providing services to the community as normal. However, health workers have stipulated a clear timeline for accountability, giving the department until the end of July to tangibly respond to and resolve their outstanding grievances.
