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DENOSA KwaZulu-Natal condemns the assault and strangling of a midwife by a man in front of security personnel while performing her duties at Appelsbosch Hospital.
Media statement
Wednesday, 17 March 2021
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa in KwaZulu-Natal (DENOSA) is very angry and disappointed by the incident that occurred at Appellsboch Hospital in Ozwathini in the Ilembe District on Saturday where a midwife was attacked and strangled while performing her duties.
A man well-known to be a bully in that community, and called ‘a king’ by the community, brought his partner who was about to go on labour. Upon arrival, and under the influence of alcohol, he and his colleagues demanded that the midwife at work must stop whatever she was busy with and attend to his wife.
Upon her reasoning that she was busy with a critical patient and that she was to attend to his wife after finishing her task at hand, the man just went for her and strangled her, slapped her five times and hit her against the wall before kicking her non-stop after she fell down unconscious.
It is sad that a member of the community will come and assault a midwife in front of security and other people but still they were unable to assist this nurse from harm.
DENOSA is worried about the role of private security at the institution; whether they are equipped to deal with such situations and wondering as to why they failed to protect this nurse.
DENOSA takes this opportunity to inform and remind its members that they have a right to withhold their labour if the conditions they work under are not safe for them to execute their duties.
DENOSA is planning to advise the nurse to report this incident and open a criminal case of assault against this person who assaulted her and further litigate the private security company for failing to protect the nurse.
DENOSA takes this opportunity to urge the department to strengthen security measures in this institution and in many other institutions where healthcare workers are not safe.
In another incident of a reign of terror on healthcare workers, many nurses’ cars are hijacked in broad daylight at the L Clinic in Umlazi Township.
The criminals will come a day or two before and identify cars they want in the parking bay and take photos of them. They will come the following day and take them away, in the presence of security.
“A nurse from the clinic has just informed us this morning that she received a message that the hijackers will be coming to the clinic to fetch her car today because it is needed,” says DENOSA Provincial Secretary, Mandla Shabangu.
“As DENOSA in the province, we will be advising our members who are employed in that clinic not to continue reporting to that clinic, but instead, report at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in Umlazi until the District management make serious interventions, including involving community leaders, police, metro police and the councilor. Or else, they must close the clinic and refer patients to the next nearest clinic if they can’t ensure a safe environment for our members,” adds Shabangu.
End
Issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA)
For more information, contact:
Mandla Shabangu, DENOSA Provincial Secretary.
Mobile: 072 553 1636
