Johannesburg - As health workers at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital took to the streets in protest against slack security in public hospitals, the same people tasked with guarding them got into a deadly brawl.
Police are searching for a guard who allegedly stabbed his colleague to death at the Soweto hospital on Friday.
The two men are believed to have become involved in a fight following the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) service delivery demonstration outside the hospital.
“The reason for their quarrel is unknown and we’re trying to establish why they fought. The suspect who stabbed the 36-year-old man is still on the run,” Warrant Officer Kay Makhubela said on Sunday.
Nehawu spokesman Sizwe Pamla said the union had been shocked by the “sad and tragic episode that corroborates our story of poor security in public hospitals”.
“Our members protested outside the hospital regarding a myriad issues, including the poor safety as a result of the outsourcing of support functions in hospitals.
“This demonstrates the poor security in public hospitals and the dangers of outsourcing. The security situation has become dire in most public hospitals because of staff shortages, an incompetent workforce and the lack of adequate supervision,” he said.
He also complained of workers being badly trained, poorly paid, ill-equipped and overworked, thus compromising the community and workers’ safety.
“Our union will be continuing with lunchtime demonstrations to demand the termination of the existing security contract,” Pamla added.
Both guards had only recently started working at the hospital after the Gauteng Department of Health employed the services of a new security company as of this month.
Attempts to reach the management for comment on Sunday were unsuccessful.
Gauteng health spokesman Prince Hamnca said: “We’ve requested the hospital’s chief executive to work with the security company and police in the investigations. We’ve also asked the head of security to submit a report by Monday”.
He also sent condolences to the deceased’s family.
The Star