Police dispute claim linking lack of protective gear to infections

THE SAPS has disputed claims that there was a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) within its ranks and that this had contributed to the increase in the number of officers infected with Covid-19.

National SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo was reacting to claims made by the SA Police and Allied Workers Union that they had received several complaints about the lack of PPE in the SAPS after 15 officers tested positive for Covid-19 across the country. Union president Bonga Makuliwe said there was clear evidence of non-compliance with Covid-19 regulations by some of the police stations.

“If PPE had been made available on time, the risk of contamination of our members could have been reduced,” he said.

Naidoo rejected claims of lack of equipment, saying they were not true as the SAPS had spent millions of rand procuring PPE, sanitisers and gloves for distribution to all provinces.

He said a second consignment was also sent, adding that they had planned for four months in advance.

“If a station or a member doesn’t have it, it was due to the gross negligence of some or certain individuals.

“If any member complains that they don’t have the necessary equipment, then he must complain about his commander.

“He can’t complain that there is a lack of provision; there isn’t a lack of provision of this equipment,” said Naidoo.

Naidoo said the 15 officers, who tested positive, were from stations across the country, including Folweni in Durban, Hermanus and Athlone in the Western Cape and Douglasdale in

Gauteng.

Naidoo said front-line workers were the least infected.

“There were only three or four of them. The rest of the members who got infected may have come into contact with somebody like a family member who got it from some other person,” he said.

Naidoo said an internal communication was scheduled to be sent to inform members of the number of officers infected and to reiterate the importance of Covid-19 safety measures.

Dr Atiya Mosam, executive board member of the Public Health Association of SA, said while hygiene practices recommended for all should obviously be in place for essential workers, distancing would be difficult in many cases.

“At the very least, police should be given masks to use,” she said.

Mosam did not recommend gloves for extended daily wear due to the risk of cross-contamination.

“But gloves should definitely be available to them, along with sanitisers for instances where they need to be in close proximity or physical contact with citizens,” she said.