IOL News reports that the Ga-Chuene Clinic outside Polokwane in Limpopo has reopened after two nurses were recently attacked.
The Limpopo Department of Health announced the reopening of the clinic on Tuesday, after it was temporarily closed following incidents of break-in, abduction and the sexual assault of nursing staff. It is alleged a heavily armed man entered the clinic, overpowered three security personnel, and tied them up before abducting two nurses. The incident happened around 1am last Friday while the nurses were on night duty, and they only reappeared around 5am in the morning. The department said the decision to reopen was made after thorough consultations with staff, unions, the clinic committee, and local traditional authorities. The clinic will now only operate during the day, Monday to Friday between 7am and 6pm. Spokesperson Kapudi Moagi indicated: “The department recognises that the current environment poses challenges, and the safety of the staff remains paramount. Hence, more efforts are being directed towards working diligently to create a secure atmosphere for both healthcare providers and the community.” Phillip Maponya of the Public Servants Association (PSA) indicated that the union was concerned about the security system’s failure. He said a single perpetrator overpowering three security guards raised pressing questions about the adequacy and efficiency of security services provided by the contracted service provider.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thobeka Ngema at IOL News
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