Gauteng health says no monkey business happening at its hospitals

South Africans were left in shock after a video of monkeys invading a ward full of patients at a Durban hospital circulated. In the video, monkeys can be seen under hospital beds, while others dangle from poles while eating food stolen from the patients.

In the video, one patient can be heard telling the monkeys to get out.

“I don’t know if I’m behind on what is news, but what’s going on here? Why are there monkeys in a hospital?” asked Mo Flava, whose comment left his followers speculating about which hospital the monkeys may have invaded.

Some suggested the Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital in Gauteng as it apparently had problems with an influx of monkeys in search for food.

“You should see them at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital. They even snatch doctors’ cellphones, that time they have to run to theatre for surgery and the monkeys will pass each other that phone,” said @Keemetswe94, while @ChawaneKgopotso wrote: “It has to [be] George Mukhari in Garankuwa, they serve as watchdogs over the patients. One is even eating an apple, bet stole it from one of the patients. I’d die from knowing they in the same room as me.”

But the Gauteng department of health has distanced itself from the video.

“The Gauteng department of health wishes to dispel utterances that the below video of monkeys invading a hospital ward took place at one of our hospitals. We can confirm that the video was not recorded at any of our hospitals in Gauteng,” said the department on Twitter.

The Gauteng Department of Health wishes to dispel utterances that the below video of monkeys invading a hospital ward took place at one of our Hospitals. We can confirm that the video was not recorded at any of our hospitals in Gauteng. pic.twitter.com/trGZHyfUmL

— Gauteng Health (@GautengHealth) February 6, 2019

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