You can walk right into clinic where nurses were told security is beefed up

Workers at the Ramokonopi Clinic in Katlehong this week downed tools after a nurse was allegedly assaulted by family members of a patient.

The night shift duty nurse was attending to a patient who had his intestines exposed after being stabbed on Saturday night. The nurse had decided to prioritise the stabbed victim over another patient‚ according to a staff member.

Chief Director for Ekurhuleni Health District‚ Nongezo Mekgwe‚ said the family members‚ of an elderly patient‚ assaulted the nurse after she told them that their loved one was not in a critical condition.

“We have since beefed up security and have a linkage with the police station which is 500m from the clinic so that they can patrol the area. We are trying to put safety doors (walk-through metal detector doors) so that there isn’t a free flow of patients at any given time.

“The ward councillors have also gone to the communities to address [community members] because some people that come to the clinic aren’t from the area‚ they are from outside [of Katlehong]‚” said Mekgwe.

On Monday‚ the clinic under the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality‚ shut its doors and nurses were chanting songs outside the premises. Patients were not treated and were only attended to on Tuesday (08-03-16)‚ according to eyewitnesses who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“I have been at the clinic since 6am and I still haven’t been attended to by the nurses. All I need is to check the status of my blood pressure‚ which doesn’t even require 10 minutes of their time‚” said Busisiwe‚ who only gave her first name‚ adding that last week Friday‚ certain staff members constantly assured them that they would be assisted but that wasn’t the case.

A staff nurse who asked not to be named said there is a shortage of staff members at the clinic‚ which results in a slow service.

“These patients are beyond what we can manage. They leave clinics from their neighbourhood and come to overcrowd this one. When there’s no speeding up of services‚ we get sweared at. The main reason why we striked was because we were complaining about security measures‚ we are no longer safe from the community (sic)‚” said the nurse.

On Tuesday‚ the Times Media Group’s reporters gained easy access into the premises under the presence of security guards belonging to Young Sisters Security and Projects company - sitting in the guard room having a conversation among themselves. We were not asked to produce any documentation‚ press cards or even asked what we were there for. It was only when we wanted to speak to the clinic’s public relations officer‚ that we were asked what we were wanted.

Mekgwe said the assaulted nurse was in a stable condition with minor bruises. The nurse could not be reached for comment.

TMG Digital/TMG Local Government Team