Military healthcare staff deployed as public health workers embark on strike in South Africa

Military healthcare practitioners in South Africa have been called to come to the rescue of the Department of Health (DOH) as healthcare workers embark on a nationwide strike. 

The DOH called for assistance from their military colleagues in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) after healthcare workers downed tools across the country over unmet demands of at least a 10 per cent wage increase.

The military-trained medical practitioners were deployed to various hospitals on March 8 to relieve the health sector for however long was necessary or until the striking workers returned to their duty posts.

Their deployment was in accordance with the National Disaster Management Act 2002, which provides “deployment of SANDF personnel to a National Organ of State for the rendering of emergency services”, a statement by South Africa’s Department of Defence said on Monday.

Baxolise Mali, provincial general secretary of the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union…