Africa-Press – South-Africa. Gauteng public hospital staff are working in fear, according to the DA in the province, after several staffers were allegedly slapped, punched or bitten in 43 attacks by psychiatric patients at 17 public hospitals since January last year.
According to a statement by the DA’s spokesperson on health in Gauteng, Jack Bloom, Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi revealed this in response to questions from the DA about the attacks.
Allegations are that psychiatric patients were not kept in properly secured psychiatric wards and that attacks happened in departments outside of psychiatric units.
In one instance, according to Mokgethi, a patient who wanted to be discharged assaulted a cleaner before attacking a doctor a few days later. Security guards were on strike at the time.
Earlier in the year, Bloom urged the provincial department to provide adequate staffing and improved facilities at Helen Joseph Hospital.
This, after it was revealed in March 2022 that 25 staff members were attacked in the emergency department, another six in the female ward and one in the male ward last year.
Health officials apologise after man dies from ‘very rare’ syndrome linked to J&J Covid-19 jab
On Tuesday, Bloom released a statement outlining some of the attacks which he said Mokgethi provided.
Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital had the highest number of attacks.
He said Mokgethi detailed attacks on 16 employees which included nine slapping incidents, two biting incidents, punches to the head and one incident involving a groin injury.
At Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital, on the other hand, there were five assaults on staff and two attacks in the Accident and Emergency Unit, one of which allegedly involved an attempted strangulation.
Other affected hospitals that were cited were Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Sebokeng Hospital, Bertha Gxowa Hospital and Leratong Hospital.
Psychiatric patients were nursed in normal wards due to a limited number of beds in the psychiatric ward, the MEC said in her response.
Bloom said facilities were inadequate even though pledges had been made to improve mental healthcare after the widely publicised Life Esidimeni tragedy.
Bloom added:
He said the DA proposed that a proper safety audit of hospitals be conducted. Where security risks are high, especially at hospitals that receive psychiatric patients, adequate steps must be taken to ensure the safety of personnel and patients, he said.
News24 contacted Gauteng health department spokesperson Motalatale Modiba to find out if any solutions would be implemented and whether the DA’s proposal would be considered.
However, Modiba had not responded at the time of publication.
His response will be added once received.
For More News And Analysis About South-Africa Follow Africa-Press
