NEHAWU KZN Condemns The Assault of Its Member By a Patient at Empangeni Clinic
Friday August 16, 2024The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] in KwaZulu-Natal condemns the physical assault of its member by a patient at Empangeni Clinic under Ngwelezane Tertiary Hospital.
This incident happens after the MEC for Health, Ms Nomagugu Simelane said during her Budget Vote Speech, “Equally we will not accept any form of abuse directed towards our healthcare professionals. They deserve the same level of respect and safety that others expect from them. Therefore, any acts of violence or mistreatment from patients or their relatives will not be tolerated”.
This shocking incident reveals the gaps and inadequacies that underpins security services of public health institutions in the province. The frequency of these violent attacks taking place in our healthcare facilities in the province is of serious concern and continues to target women.
This brazen display of violence in our healthcare facilities poses a danger to the lives of our members and workers including patients who go to these institutions for medical attention. NEHAWU remains concerned that security services in our healthcare facilities are inadequate and that it makes it easy for rogue elements to target our members. As NEHAWU, we are deeply concerned about the safety and wellbeing of our members, workers and patients who depend on these health facilities for their day to day health needs.
It is against this backdrop that we feel that the Provincial Department of Health has to own up and take full responsibility for the perpetual security lapses that have taken place and admit that they have dropped the ball when it comes to issues of safety and security of workers. The union also condemns the behaviour of the management of the facility for failing to handle this matter in a way that protect worker’s rights.
NEHAWU calls upon the leadership of the Department to refrain from sitting on their laurels and come up with a swift strategy on how to deal with matters of safety and security in the health institutions; it can’t be business as usual when workers have to look over their shoulder from time to time when they are in health facilities. Furthermore, we call for the department to insource security services since private companies have dismally failed to provide proper security to workers and patients.
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Issued by NEHAWU KwaZulu-Natal Secretariat Office
For more information, please contact: Ayanda Zulu (Provincial Secretary) at 081 758 5199 or email: Ayandaz@nehawu.org.za
Ntokozo Nxumalo (Provincial Deputy Secretary) at 0815255983 or email: Ntokozo@Nehawu.org.za
Visit https://www.nehawu.org.za