Union threatens to remove staff after nurse attacked by patient at Gauteng hospital

18 September 2019 - 15:46 By Nomahlubi Jordaan
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A nurse at Pholosong Hospital in Tsakane was strangled by a patient at around 6am on Wednesday.
A nurse at Pholosong Hospital in Tsakane was strangled by a patient at around 6am on Wednesday.
Image: Phasut Waraphisit via 123RF

The Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) in Ekurhuleni has threatened to withdraw its members from Pholosong Hospital in Tsakane after a nurse was attacked by a patient on Wednesday.

According to the union, the nurse was strangled by a patient at around 6am.

"The nurse was attacked and strangled by a patient in the passage inside the facility. After choking her, [the patient] took her cellphones, leaving her down and unconscious for some time this morning because private security has proven over many times that it is ineffective and should be in-sourced.

"But government continues to ignore this call as if someone is benefiting handsomely from outsourcing this critical healthcare service," Denosa said.

The patient, the union said, went through two security checkpoints without a single security guard in sight.

The nurse was allegedly a second victim of the same patient.

"The facility has an excellent security system installed, including live monitors at the security control room, and the only requirement is for security personnel to man and monitor them. But even this task is still too much for private security service providers," said the union.

"Denosa asks the question again: must workers die inside a facility first for the security services to be in-sourced so that the security staff are immediately accountable?"

The union said it was organising a meeting with provincial health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku over the matter "because it will withdraw its members from this unsafe condition if nothing is done".

"This incident was discovered when the perpetrator had already left the facility after attacking the nurse, whereas there are CCTV cameras inside the facility and not a single security at control room was monitoring them so they could pick it up," the union said.


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