Durban - Two security guards have been dismissed after they were allegedly caught on video assaulting a 13-year-old patient at Ladysmith Hospital.
In the video, which has been shared on social media, the patient in a hospital bed can be heard asking for forgiveness and pleading with them to stop hitting him.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health confirmed in a statement yesterday that the two security guards had been dismissed by their employer, who is contracted to provide security services at the hospital.
It added that it had instituted an urgent investigation into the incident and internal disciplinary processes against the nursing staff implicated in the matter were under way.
“It is believed that the incident took place on Thursday evening, and was brought to the attention of hospital management on Friday.
“The security company implicated in the matter was informed about the incident, and immediately took action against the employees,” the department said.
The department said the patient, who suffers from a disability and was a resident of a place of shelter, had been moved to another health-care facility in Durban.
Department spokesperson Ntokozo Maphisa said: “As a department, we are shocked and appalled by this incident.
“MEC Nomagugu Simelane has made it clear that the safety and well-being of patients is our priority, and that their abuse under any circumstances, and in any way, shape or form, will not be accepted.
“We can confirm that the matter has been reported to the police, and to the Department of Social Development. We can also confirm that a disciplinary process is under way into this matter.
“This process will look into, among others, where the nurses were when the incident took place; who called the security guards; and why the patient was assaulted.”
Mongezi Twala, the EFF KZN chairperson, said they were calling for the Department of Health to launch an urgent investigation into how patients are being treated at the hospital.
“We are extremely perturbed by the contents of this video as the security guards are so comfortable with what they are doing, which makes one wonder how many more patients have been victims of assault in this hospital.
“We call for their expulsion as they are unfit to serve the public, particularly the vulnerable,’’ he said.
“We further challenge the department to get a full report of what transpired that day, from the nurses who were on duty and the nursing manager who was in charge.
“Clearly, the security guards had been summoned by someone who had also briefed them about the patient. We will continue to monitor the case closely, and should we be unsatisfied with the outcome, we will not hesitate to take it further with the health ombudsman,” he said.