North West Health MEC boosts security at Bapong health centre after violent attack

North West Health MEC Sello Lehari says the Department of Health has reinforced security at the Bapong Community Health Centre (CHC) in Brits, following an altercation that left a security guard battered on Sunday morning.

Additional security measures include sending more armed guards and equipping guards with necessary tools, including metal detectors.

Morning commotion at Bapong health centre

At around 4am on Sunday, an alleged unruly group of five men who were accompanying an injured patient skipped the queue and demanded to be attended to first in the centre’s packed-to-capacity casualty unit.

A commotion broke out when they failed to understand that the staff had their hands full. A security guard tried to intervene but was severely assaulted by the group, who then threatened nurses, forcing them to provide medical care under duress.

MEC condemns attack

Lehari says he condemns the acts of violence and that a case has been opened against the group.

“I want to say to these individuals, that we have opened a criminal case against them, and we will follow it through until they are arrested. We call on the community to work with us and identify these individuals who are disregarding the laws of our country,” he said.

He also warned those who frequent healthcare facilities in the wee hours as a result of brawls from places that sell alcohol to behave.

“Our healthcare professionals are doing so much to save lives, the last thing we need is individuals who had consumed alcohol to come and cause chaos in our facilities, demanding to skip the queue. They will face the full might of the law and we will set a good example with these ones who assume that they are more important that other patients.”

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Lehari said all staff who were on duty during the incident have been offered psycho-social support.

Denosa concerned about health workers’ safety

The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) in the North West has also condemned the attack and raised concerns about the safety of healthcare workers.

In a statement, Denosa North West provincial secretary Reuben Molete said the incident has once again exposed the glaring security failures at Bapong, leaving healthcare workers vulnerable to violent attacks.

“The situation assessment conducted following the attack revealed shocking lapses in security, highlighting a complete failure to ensure the safety of both staff and patients,” Molete said.

“This total lack of security has made Bapong CHC a soft target for violent incidents such as this one. Denosa finds it utterly unacceptable that nurses must continue to work in such unsafe conditions, with no assurance that the facility can protect them when violence erupts.”

He said the attack is not an isolated incident as healthcare workers across the country increasingly face intimidation and violence at the hands of those they serve, while security measures remain woefully inadequate.

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‘Stopgap measures not enough’

“While Denosa acknowledges the immediate interventions, we strongly emphasise that these stopgap measures are not enough. This recurrent pattern of violence against healthcare workers demands a comprehensive overhaul of security protocols in all healthcare facilities.”

The organisation says it is calling on the Department of Health to act decisively by ensuring security personnel are adequately trained, properly equipped, and deployed in sufficient numbers.

Urgent infrastructure upgrades must be implemented to secure healthcare facilities, prevent unauthorised access, and protect staff from violent attacks, Denosa said.

A previous incident

In January, two nurses in Limpopo were kidnapped, assaulted and raped after a heavily armed man stormed the then 24-hour Chuene Clinic in Polokwane at 1am on 10 January.

The assailant overpowered three security guards, tied them up, and abducted the two nurses who were on night duty.

The nurses were missing for several hours and reappeared at around 5am that morning.

The clinic was closed for three weeks to offer support to the affected staff, and now only operates during the day following its reopening.

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