An armed gang dressed in personal protective equipment (PPE) walked into a hospital in Kimberley in the Northern Cape and shot a patient dead in his bed.
Police spokesperson Col Mashay Gamieldien said the gang then proceeded to rob other patients. The incident happened at the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in the early hours of Friday morning.
Four people entered the hospital dressed in PPE and shot the victim in his bed, said Gamieldien. “The suspects then robbed the other patients of their cellphones and unplugged the telephone in the nurses’ station and fled.”
Northern Cape health MEC Maruping Lekwene described the incident as a “brutal and unprecedented attack”.
Lekwene said the patient who was shot dead had recently transferred from the intensive care unit where he had been admitted with gunshot wounds.
“As a department we condemn any form of crime and especially where human life does not matter. We trust the police and all law-enforcement agencies involved in this case will speedily bring the perpetrators to book.”
Lekwene said the department would ensure its psychosocial team attends to all affected patients and personnel who have witnessed the incident.
“We do not expect such crimes to be perpetrated in facilities which aim to cure the sick.”
No other patients were injured during the robbery. The motive is under investigation.
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