UNION TALKS: Denosa urges Gauteng health department to address mounting system failures

The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) in Gauteng has given the provincial Department of Health an ultimatum, saying it needs to address a long list of critical system failures, or the union “will take to the streets”. The union has given the department a month to address the issues.

At a media briefing on Sunday, 6 September 2026, at Cosatu House in Braamfontein, the Denosa Gauteng chairperson, Bongani Banda, listed their concerns.

He spoke about nursing staff shortages, vacant funded posts, instability in hospital management, deteriorating infrastructure and the availability of medicines and medical supplies.

The union’s demands come as it marks 30 years since its establishment in 1996.

Banda said staffing shortages were placing increasing pressure on healthcare workers and compromising the quality of care they were able to provide.

Healthcare workers were increasingly exposed to abuse, intimidation, threats and violence, including from patients and community members, he said. These conditions were contributing to stress, fatigue and declining morale among healthcare workers, and the union called for stronger security and management support.

Medicine shortages

Banda also raised concerns about shortages of medicines and medical supplies, which affected both patients and healthcare workers. He attributed stock shortages to a combination of procurement and supply-chain delays, inventory-management challenges and disruptions from suppliers.

The shortages could affect patients, he said. Some were sent to other health facilities to get medication, only to find they were also unable to provide the treatment.

Denosa said hospitals must be adequately supplied with medicines, medical equipment and other essential supplies so healthcare workers can provide appropriate care.

Deteriorating infrastructure

The union also criticised the condition of healthcare infrastructure across the province. Banda said dilapidated facilities created an unpleasant environment. Deteriorating infrastructure could affect infection prevention and control, the functionality of facilities, patient privacy and dignity, and emergency preparedness.

He also questioned whether the department had sufficient capacity to deal with its infrastructure maintenance needs.

The union said the Gauteng health department had an infrastructure unit, but it questioned whether the unit was adequately capacitated and if its staff were utilised effectively.

The government has allocated funding towards infrastructure maintenance and upgrades, but Banda said there was a gap between what is reported about improvements and what healthcare workers saw at facilities.

Healthcare workers “cannot be expected to care for the health and wellbeing of others when their own safety and wellbeing are compromised”, he said.

Healthcare professionals were increasingly working under pressure, Banda said, with excessive workloads compounded by abuse, intimidation, threats and violence in some facilities. The union said these conditions were affecting the psychological wellbeing and morale of healthcare workers and could ultimately affect patient care.

Banda called for safer working environments, including visible security, effective systems for reporting incidents of violence and stronger management support for healthcare workers.

‘The streets are calling’

Denosa intended to escalate the matter if its concerns were not addressed. Banda said the organisation would engage with communities and civil society about the challenges facing the public healthcare system. The union was prepared to take action, he said.

“The streets are calling,” he said, warning that the union would not remain passive if its demands were not met.

Denosa has given the Gauteng health department until next month to respond to its concerns. DM