A Helen Joseph nurse was violently raped while on duty on 29 August. The 48-year-old was reportedly reporting for duty.
“As I went in someone grabbed me on my back and when I turned I saw someone wearing a pantyhose…I could only see his eyes,” she recounted to EWN.
According to the nurse, the attacker demanded money and physically abused her. When she attempted to hurt his scrotum, the perpetrator reportedly became more violent, hitting everything in front of him until she fell down.
“When I was down he kept strangling me…I tried to scream but he kept closing my mouth telling me to be quiet,” she recounted to EWN.
“[When he was raping me] I even told him…I am HIV positive, how can you rape someone who is HIV positive,” she said.
The perpetrator is said to have subsequently electrocuted the survivor.
“By that time I thought I was dying…I was just asking God to let this thing pass and take my soul,” she added.
The mother of one who works for the National Health Laboratory Service, sustained severe injuries and was only discharged from the Netcare Milpark Hospital after three days.
She is dreading going back to work although the Gauteng Health Department has beefed up security measures at the hospital.
Since the occurrence of this incident, the hospital management has taken precautionary measures by availing extra security personnel to escort health workers who need to move around the hospital.
Additional personnel have also been recruited to ensure that all floors are covered. Locks have also been changed and measures have been put in place to ensure that the area is also secured.
Health department’s spokesperson, Prince Hamnca said that the hospital has set up a security committee to review the effects of the introduced security measures.
“It is terrible if people who are committed in saving our lives are being targeted in our mist. As members of the community we need to condemn these vicious acts,” says Hamnca.
Some hospital staffers are scared for their lives.
“When I walk around here I am very worried because I have no clue what will happen to me right now, some of the passages do not even have lights,” said a nurse that wishes to remain anonymous.
However, some doctors were happy about the changes that have been made.
“I am not scared to do my job or to walk around. I think this was an opportunistic crime and the guards cannot stop people from coming in,” said yet another doctor.
The Democratic Alliance Health Shadow Minister Jack Bloom came out to ridicule this vicious crime.
“What value are we getting for the R6.5 million that is spent annually for the security contract to guard the Helen Joseph Hospital?
“I have long questioned the soaring costs of hospital security in Gauteng, and I suspect corruption in the award of certain contracts,” he said.
