A female gynaecologist at a Lenmed hospital in Durban was seriously injured in an assault by the family a patient she had operated on, after the patient died, writes MedicalBrief.
IoL writes that reports began circulating on various media platforms that a group of men stormed the Lenmed Nu Shifa Hospital in Durban, and attacked the doctor. The doctor, a gynaecologist according to other reports, was violently attacked and suffered serious injuries.
According to a Lenmed statement, the relevant authorities are investigating the matter and the hospital will take appropriate action following the outcome.
The hospital added that full security teams, systems and backups are in place at all times at the hospital to ensure the safety of patients, visitors, employees and doctors. At this stage, police have confirmed that a case of assault is being investigated by the Sydenham police. The docket has been sent to the office of the senior public prosecutor for a decision.
Patients of the well-known Durban gynaecologist, feared for their lives as the savage assault played out in the reception area, reports The Times.
“I had come back from theatre after my own surgery and could hear the doctor trying to resuscitate the patient. She then went towards the reception and all I heard was “You killed my sister”. A man was shouting. There were screams and it sounded like a scuffle where someone was really being thrashed. “I couldn’t hear the doctor's voice and I was sure that they had killed her. I was terrified that they were going to come into our room and attack us all. They were out of control,” a patient is quoted in the report as saying. She said she heard them threaten to burn down the hospital.
SA Medical Association (Sama) chair Dr Akhtar Hussain said the doctor had suffered severe facial injuries and broken bones. He said the doctor had performed surgery on a 39-year-old female patient earlier on 24 February.
The Lenmed Group, which Shifa Hospital is a part of, confirmed the incident but declined to provide further details.
[link url="https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/female-doctor-attacked-after-patient-dies-after-procedure-43887049"]Full IoL report[/link]
[link url="https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2020-03-02-you-killed-my-sister-patients-hear-as-doctor-beaten-to-pulp/"]Full report in The Times[/link]
See also MB FOCUS
[link url="https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/hospitals-fear-police-guards-run-away-attacks-patients/"]Hospitals of fear: Police and guards ‘run away’ during attacks on patients[/link]
[link url="https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/attacks-doctors-highlight-security-dangers-state-hospitals/"]Attacks on doctors highlight security dangers in state hospitals[/link]