MBOMBELA- A two-day Labour Indaba was hosted by the Department of Health last week on October 3 and 4.
This was to empower health workers, improve job satisfaction and to ensure a sustainable healthcare system meets the needs of communities.
This year’s theme was dubbed: Fostering Respect for Collective bargaining,Social Dialogue and Labour Peace To Enhance Service Delivery In The Department.
Addressing laborers on the first day, MEC for health, Sasekani Manzini touched on topics ranging from mental health, safety, human resource strategic goals to the importance of the health sector’s contribution to economic growth.
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Manzini said it is important for workers to prioritize their mental health as it impacts productivity in healthcare facilities.
“We must strive to establish collaborative engagement and cooperation to ensure healthcare workers are trained, equipped supported and protected by all means possible. We need to embrace social dialogue as it is essential in building trust and mutual respect between all parties,” she said.
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One of the challenges faced by healthcare workers is the increasing incidents of violence and attacks in communities they serve. Manzini said this compromises health workers’ abilities to provide the high quality care expected of them.
“We need to collectively generate and implement robust measures to protect healthcare workers from harm and violence, and we must work closely with community leaders to foster understanding and respect for the already-known critical role that healthcare workers play in society,” emphasised Manzini.
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