DURBAN – For the past few weeks, the KwaMashu Community Health Centre (CHC) has been plagued by incidents of violence, the most recent being the stabbing of a security guard last weekend.
On Monday the Daily News was informed that it was alleged that KwaMashu CHC was closed because of a stabbing incident.
Responding to a media query regarding the allegation, police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala confirmed that an incident took place on March 12, 2022, at 2am at a local clinic in KwaMashu where a 35-year-old security guard was stabbed while performing his duties.
“A case of attempted murder was opened at KwaMashu police station for investigation,” Gwala said.
The incident left people seeking medical treatment helpless after their were locked out of the clinic.
In a video, a group of people are seen standing outside the CHC while being addressed by an unknown man. Although at times inaudible, the man can be heard saying that the reasons staff closed the doors were valid.
In a statement on Friday, KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane condemned the recent spate of attacks against staff at the KwaMashu CHC, which led to the disruption of normal operations at the facility earlier this week.
Simelane said the latest two incidents happened last weekend where a security guard was stabbed, allegedly by a man who tried to force his way into the facility, to accompany a patient who had been stabbed; as well as a separate attack in which a nurse was punched in the face, allegedly by the aggrieved relative of a patient who had just demised.
“The security guard had to be rushed to hospital for treatment and is stable, while the nurse is distraught by the incident and has taken leave from work,” Simelane said.
She said both incidents were under investigation by law enforcement authorities.
She also said the incidents came in the wake of another attack at the same facility at the beginning of February where two paramedics were shot and wounded by an unknown man during an attempted robbery.
“We are nevertheless pleased that, following a series of meetings between departmental officials, organised labour, security, and representatives from the community, the facility is now back to normal functioning again,” Simelane said.
“We do wish to register that we are highly disturbed and taken aback by these incidents, which are grossly barbaric and highly unacceptable.”
Simelane said anyone who lifted their hand against any health worker or anyone who was associated with the public health service, while in the line of duty, deserves to be squeezed out of our communities, isolated and subjected to the highest form of sanction possible within the criminal justice sanction.
“Our health professionals should never ever be made to be afraid of the community that they are serving. They must be able to work freely, knowing that they have the full backing and support of the communities that they serve because their work entails saving lives and giving hope to the hopeless. It is therefore sacrosanct,” Simelane said.
She called on the local community to protect healthcare workers and also urged them to ensure that nothing happens that may lead to the closure of any healthcare facilities as they perform work that is essential to people’s very survival.
“Respect is a two-way street. In as much as we always condemn our staff in cases where members of the public are mistreated… and we insist on consequence management… the same level of condemnation should be apportioned to those criminals, doers of evil, and charlatans who harm or abuse our healthcare workers in any way. They must be apprehended and subjected to the full might of the law,” Simelane concluded.
Daily News