One person charged with malicious damage to property after mob attacks staff and patients at Carolina Hospital
A provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Donald Mdhluli, said the accused appeared in the Piet Retief Magistrate's Court on June 18.
The SAPS arrested a female suspect after a group of people had raided Carolina Hospital on June 17.
The group of armed people stormed the hospital at about 01:00. They terrorised the staff and patients, and vandalised medical equipment and furniture in the casualty unit.
According to the police, this comes after two people were brought to the hospital, one with a gunshot wound, who eventually succumbed to his injuries, and the other with a stab wound. The two patients were allegedly escorted into the hospital by the group of people.
A provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Donald Mdhluli, said the people who had accompanied the person who died, went on a rampage.
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“They attacked the staff members and destroyed the infrastructure. They robbed the staff of their personal items, including cellphones.”
According to the Department of Health, some patients were also affected by this incident. Mdhuli said Nomfundo Joloza (22) appeared in the Piet Retief Magistrate’s Court on June 18.
“She was arrested on June 17 on charges of malicious damage of property and was released on a warning. The matter was postponed to July 3 in the same court.”
The MEC for health, Sasekani Manzini, went to the hospital after the incident occurred. According to the department, she went to support Carolina Hospital and had a meeting with labour unions, local ward councillors and the Carolina SAPS.
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They all reached an agreement to start conducting visible patrols at the hospital following this attack. The police were called upon to provide backup to the security guards providing services to the hospital.
The department has yet to determine the costs of the damaged equipment and property. Manzini has called upon communities to work with the police and the hospital’s management to protect the hospital staff and patients.
“We are most disturbed by the incident. We agreed on having members of the SAPS patrolling the hospital on an hourly basis, especially on weekends, to provide counselling to the affected staff and patients, including the security officers who were on duty, by psychologists, and the enhancing of security measures by installing burglar doors on the nurses’ duty room,” Manzini said.
