Nelspruit - Mpumalanga MEC for Health and Social Development Dikeledi Mahlangu said patients visiting health facilities in the province should not be made to feel as if getting treatment is a favour to them.
Tabling the department's R6.4 billion Budget Vote on Tuesday, Mahlangu warned health workers that negative attitudes towards patients could lead to service delivery protests.
"The people's patience is not elastic, and sooner or later they will revolt against the inferior health service they get from public health facilities in the province.
"Many people who use our health facilities have no choice but to use them, and if they had an alternative they would not go to our facilities," said Mahlangu.
Although she berated what she called the "disappointing attitude" of some health workers, she admitted that the department realised they were facing challenges such as drug and staff shortages.
Provincial shop steward of the Democratic Nurses' Organisation of South Africa Sipho Dlamini, who attended the session, said afterwards that he was saddened by the attitude of nurses "humiliating" patients.
"What has gone wrong, really? Have we forgotten the pledge we made when we joined the nursing profession? The first line in the nursing pledge is that 'I solemnly pledge myself to the service of humanity and will endeavour to practice my profession with conscience and with dignity'. Some nurses are unfortunately doing the opposite."
Dlamini said nurses should remember that patients were human beings with a constitutional right to be treated with dignity and respect.
"As nurses, we are also human beings and we are not immune to stress. But let us avoid venting our anger and frustrations on innocent patients. We must seek professional advice whenever the need arises.
