Hospital not eager to release dismissal letters

MARANYANE NGWANAAMOTHO
Staff Writer | Friday May 20, 2011 00:00

This paper is reliably informed that the hospital management, the acting superintendent and the matron, have been receiving the dismissal letters since Tuesday afternoon this week, but have hesitated to give them to the workers who were informed through state media early this week to collect the letters from their bosses.

Reports are that until late afternoon yesterday, workers have been asking for their letters but were told that there were no letters. It is alleged that there are dismissal letters for 30 doctors and 80 nurses. It is believed that the hospital management is afraid that the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Dr. Malefho Kolaatamo will turn against them the moment the workers demand answers concerning the dismissals. 'They do not trust this man. He has potential to turn against his story. What will they (management) tell the workers when he withdraws from the writing of the letters? The letters are still sitting there,' said a source. Hospital management could not be reached for comment yesterday.

In the meantime more nurses and doctors are reportedly joining the strike, and vow not to return to work until the dismissals for all workers have been withdrawn. It is also reported that the hospital has resorted to moving some patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to other hospitals and discharging those who seem to be getting well.

The hospital that has been operating on skeletal staff for about a month now is reported to be planning on outsourcing cleaning services since it is now difficult to keep the premises clean. Meanwhile, unionists said yesterday they had arranged that there would be no nurses and doctors turning up for night shift at Sekgoma Memorial Hospital in Serowe. The unionists had also gone to Ramotswa Hospital on their picketing mission where they got more nurses and doctors to join the strike. They say they had agreed with the workers that they send patients home and stop taking admissions. Picketing is continuing at other government departments as more workers continue joining the strike.