Health Sector NGO's call for more security at a Uitenhage health facility

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

Three health sector NGO's have called on the Eastern Cape Health Department to take steps to ensure that health facilities at Laetitia Bam Day Hospital in KwaNobuhle in Uitenhage, are safe.

The call was made by the Treatment Action Campaign in the Eastern Cape, the Clinic Commitees and the Eastern Cape Health Crisis Coalition.

This follows recent incidents of intimidation, where health care workers were allegedly threatened with knives and a firearm by patients.

TAC provincial organiser, Vuyokazi Gonyela, says that they want the appropriate security in place to protect both health workers and patients .

Gonyela says staff attitude sometimes lead to bad engagements with patients, while staff shortages are also a source of contention between them.

"We are condemning the intimidation and attempted stabbing of nurses. We want safety measures and security to be put in place in order to protect the health care workers providing health services to communities. At the same time we are pleading with the communities to take responsibility for the protection of the health care workers." says Gonyela.