The Citizen reports that nurses at a Katlehong health centre have deserted it in protest after a midwife was attacked, allegedly by a group of community members at the weekend.  

This is apparently one of many incidents in which staff have been attacked at Ramokonopi Community Health Centre in Katlehong.  The workers, the majority of whom are affiliated to the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa), have boycotted the clinic in protest at continuous attacks against staff by irate residents and, sometimes, thugs.  According to Denosa’s Ekurhuleni regional secretary, Lebohang Khumalo, members of a family entered the centre on Sunday night and started physically assaulting a midwife after a baby was stillborn.  Apparently, they did not understand why their relative would bear a stillborn child and started fighting among themselves before they assaulted the midwife.  Now, 61 Denosa members out of the 76 nurses at the centre have been withdrawn by the union.  They were asked to report to other health facilities where the union believed they would be safe.  Khumalo said the union had withdrawn its members with immediate effect to exercise its right in terms of Chapter 2 of the National Health Act, which allowed the workers to work in a safe environment.

• Read the full original report by Eric Naki in full at The Citizen
• Read too, Nurse assaulted as family blame her for stillborn baby, at SowetanLive

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page