Two Soweto residents held Johannesburg City Health officials hostage last week at the Protea South Clinic in Soweto, demanding to be treated. The Times reports that staff reportedly remained at the clinic after 4pm on Friday as they waited for an ambulance to move a patient to a nearby hospital. "Though they were still at the clinic, they could not allow new patients to arrive as it was already past the official closing time," City of Johannesburg health and social development MMC Mpho Phalatse is quoted in the report as saying.
The clinic offers primary healthcare on weekdays from 7.30am to 4pm and partners with the Chiawelo Community Health Centre (CHC) which offers round-the-clock healthcare service.
"It is alleged that two patients arrived at 4.10pm, demanding to be serviced. The staff referred the two patients to Chiawelo CHC across the road, or gave them the option to come back the following day. This request was declined, and the six staff members were held hostage in the facility by the two patients," Phalatse said.
The report says around 4.30pm, the staff called the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD). "While waiting for the ambulance and the police to arrive, they decided to see the two patients. The ambulance later arrived for the transfer. Both staff and patients sustained no injuries," Phalatse said.
[link url="https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2019-06-14-health-staff-help-their-hostage-takers-as-they-wait-for-ambulance/"]The Times report[/link]