Theatre incident put child’s life in danger

It was with great sadness that I had to hear the accounts of what transpired at the Provincial Hospital theatre on Monday, when a group of co-workers (in the name of a trade union action) prevented a senior anaesthetist from performing his duties.

A helpless nine-year-old child still had to be woken up from bypass by the anaesthetist, when he was physically trapped in his office and threatened with removal from the premises.

Fortunately he managed somehow to return to theatre and get the patient off bypass, but it must have been incredibly difficult to focus on the job at hand following the trauma he had to endure and disgusting behaviour and placards he had to witness.

Other upsetting details I’ll politely spare the public domain.

During the 14 years I have worked at PE Provincial, I have never witnessed any act that matched the magnitude of this incident in terms of disregard for the life and safety of one of our little patients.

Can we as care workers really justify putting an innocent child’s life in danger in the name of settling interpersonal disputes?

Trade unions have an incredibly proud history in our country due to their important role in shaping a just society.

I just hope that their power will always be tempered by the values of a caring society.

I was born in Provincial Hospital 49 years ago, and I decided many years ago to devote my entire life’s work in service to patients in the public health care system, just as my anaesthetist colleague in question did.

I once took a photograph of his hands next to the tiny head of a prem baby he had to put under general anaesthesia. It was almost magical to observe how this big, strong man transformed into a gentle, caring fellow human being whose only concern was the safety and welfare of that little life in his hands.

I, therefore, make absolutely no excuse for imploring my fellow health care staff at our proud and precious hospital to afford all of us the opportunity to do our work, and to settle disputes in an orderly manner that does not compromise the safety of our patients.

Also, on a basic human level, have the humility to acknowledge that there are many things that happen, especially behind the closed doors of a theatre, that you know nothing about.

And realise that the person you think you know may have a set of values far deeper than what you see on the surface. Dr Danie Louw, Provincial

Hospital, Port Elizabeth