The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has expressed great worry over a new attack on a healthcare worker at a public hospital in Mpumalanga.
A doctor at the Mapulaneng Hospital in Mpumalanga was attacked on her way home after her shift on Tuesday night (15 February).
The doctor was kidnapped, robbed at gunpoint, and attempted to be raped, according to SAMA. This encounter has left the doctor, understandably, traumatized.
This incident follows the killing of a nurse at Tembisa Hospital earlier this month. The nurse was allegedly fatally shot 7 times in the head and neck by her partner who then shot himself. The cop was rushed to ICU and has since been discharged.
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) also asked for gun laws to be reviewed.
“The incident has highlighted the need to reconsider allowing officers of the law to enter facilities with guns, and the need to have gun storage in healthcare facilities by security unless they are escorting a dangerous patient or a convict,” DENOSA said.
“SAMA has on many occasions in the past raised concerns regarding the issue of safety at public hospitals. The Association has proposed that stringent security measures be implemented for the protection of healthcare workers and patients in dire need of medical services.
“SAMA is taking the issue of safety and security seriously and urges all stakeholders to collectively acknowledge the extreme level of the problem and to find solutions in the interests of everyone in the country.”
South African Medical Association (SAMA