Thursday, June 14, 2007

Strike, you're out

Warning: this is a rant!

South Africa has been in the throes of a public service strike. I understand that civil servants, who make a country run, need to earn a living wage. I don't understand why teachers at private schools, who earn a decent salary, need to strike. Nor do I understand how striking workers could deny an injured man access to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital after he was the victim of a hit-and-run accident.

This really happened. Yesterday, my housecleaner's son was run over by a car, which didn't stop (great karma to that driver...) A concerned bystander dragged the inert man into a minibus taxi and took him to hospital, where he was told they couldn't go inside for treatment. This is a poor man, not one who has private health insurance, and certainly not one who has enough money to pay the deposit at a private hospital. He may die. The striking healthcare workers made sure of that. To me, it is not OK to deny the sick and injured access to treatment while you are on strike, because the death and suffering that results accrues to your karma.

Today, please send a prayer or thought to this man, as his mother tries to arrange treatment for him.

PS: If you are wondering why I am still a bit erratic on the blogging front, it's because I am disinclined to be online right now, as it seems to make me anxious, but I am thinking of you all in between teaching teaching teaching!

6 comments:

Recy Vintage & Creations said...

I will be sending prayers and good thoughts. That is horrible.

Prayers and good thoughts to you too, my dear.

Namaste.

Marilyn P. Sushi said...

That is absolutely outrageous! I hope this man will be ok, such a sad story!

Mary said...

Oh hon, this is really sad and my thoughts are definitely with him. Just crazy. Basic humanity out the window yet again.

I haven't been inclined to post much either lately. We all need a break from time to time :-)

Anonymous said...

Hi Nadine, there are many people suffering from the power struggle in the south african government. Hospital is in such a mess. It's sad to see patients being discharged from the wards and transferred to other hospitals; theatre lists being cancelled all the time; patients not being treated properly...*sigh* it just creates more trouble later on..

yogaglamgirl said...

Wow. This makes me angry. Furious actually. That's absolutely ludicrous.

yogaglamgirl said...

if you come back online anytime soon, I wanted to let you know that I tagged you: http://yogaglamgirl.typepad.com/yogaglamgirls_weblog/2007/06/taggedby_i_stil.html