Limpopo’s health MEC, Phopho Ramathuba, has welcomed the arrest of a man who allegedly assaulted a nurse at a clinic in Vaalwater after the nurse refused to act contrary to departmental policies
The man was apparently angry because the nurse refused to reissue his companion with a second birth notification form.
Cellphone video footage of the incident has gone viral and since the incident, nurses stopped working night shifts.
The MEC says the health practitioner acted in the best interests of the government and the country, as guided by the law.
“It is for this reason that the department did not hesitate to report the man to the police.”
She said the arrest should serve as a warning and deterrent to anyone who dared to commit any form of criminal activity in a health facility.
She also urged people to rather escalate their complaints whenever they were dissatisfied with the department’s complaint process mechanisms.
“If they (communities) dare assault them (health practitioners), we will have to have them arrested,” Ramathuba added.
The department is working with community stakeholders and organised labour to ensure that the clinic works for 24 hours again as soon as possible.
Author: News24.com
