Media statement.
Thursday, 23 November 2023.
DENOSA decries weak safety controls in latest killing of a healthcare worker on duty in Richards Bay.
PRETORIA – the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) blames the brutal killing of on-duty healthcare worker at a Richards Bay clinic yesterday on weak and deteriorating security controls in the country’s healthcare facilities and fears that the cost-containment measures that the government applies will likely lead to more safety concerns for healthcare workers and patients in the country’s healthcare facilities.
An occupational health worker was fatally shot allegedly by her estranged husband yesterday morning at a Richards Bay clinic, after having had some conversation with her inside the facility.
He shot her three times, killing her instantly, and then fled off with a uMhlathuze Municipality vehicle, which he later abandoned at Ngwelezane outside eMpangeni where he disappeared.
DENOSA is concerned with weak and deteriorating security in the workplaces for nurses and other healthcare workers, which does not seem to improve despite the many incidents that point to the urgent need to beef us security.
In a similar incident in February last year at Tembisa Hospital, nurse Lebo Monene was brutally killed by her estranged husband who was a police officer.
In the Lebo Monene killing, DENOSA suggested that a safe for guns be made available for security personnel so that no gun is allowed inside healthcare facilities, whether it’s a service pistol or not as healthcare facilities are gun-free zones.
In this incident, it is extremely concerning to learn of the reports that the police, upon searching the perpetrator’s house, found what appears to be an illegal gun whose serial number was filed off. If this is the same weapon that was used to kill the nurse, then maybe it is time DENOSA began talks at the bargaining council around the issue of danger allowance for its members who work in government clinics and hospitals. How would an illegal gun enter a healthcare facility?
As to how he managed to leave the institution, having fired three shots, is just further proof that nurses and healthcare workers are on their own with no safety whatsoever.
While DENOSA applauds the uMhlathuze Municipality for ensuring the fellow staff members who witnessed the incident got counselling and the clinic was closed, the causal factor is what needs to be dealt with in the first place so that no facility must be closed due to compromised security.
DENOSA is calling on all healthcare facility managers to beef up security in protection of their employees and patients. Otherwise, more workers will be lost at the time the country cannot afford to lose a single nurse due to their short supply and high demand in facilities.
End.
Issued by DENOSA.
All reactions:
11
