Press Statement dated 22 November 2018
The Public Servants Association (PSA) learnt with shock that three doctors were shot and fatally wounded in the early hours of Thursday, 22 November 2018 at Letaba Hospital in Limpopo and called for an immediate increase in security at the Hospital.
“The Limpopo Department of Health failed to enforce security after a nurse was stabbed 15 times at the same Hospital in August 2018. The MEC said at the time that ‘our security system is found wanting’ hence the Department must take responsibility for its failure to ensure the safety of employees and patients at this Hospital. The PSA condemns the lethargic attitude of the Department and will call for a special chamber meeting for the employer to table its intervention to ensure employees’ safety,” said PSA General Manager, Ivan Fredericks.
Upon a visit to the doctors’ residential area, the PSA established that the houses where the incident took place did not have electricity or burglars bats, which made access easy for criminals and leaving employees vulnerable. “The Department is obliged to design, provide and maintain workplaces that are safe, identify any potential or actual hazards and take measures to control the risks, preferably by eliminating these in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. While there is a shortage of doctors in the country, and particularly in Limpopo, incidents like this will discourage doctors to accept work opportunities in Limpopo, and further disadvantage communities. The PSA expresses sincere condolences to the victims’ relatives and colleagues,” said Mr Fredericks
Issued by Ivan Fredericks, General Manager, Public Servants Association (PSA)