A male patient has stabbed two female doctors in the casualty ward of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley, reports TimesLIVE.
In September last year, four people dressed in personal protective equipment (PPE) shot dead a patient in the same hospital, writes MedicalBrief. The gang also stole the cellphones of patients in the ward.
At the time, Health MEC Maruping Lekwene in a statement that the patient had been transferred from the intensive care unit after being treated for gunshot wounds, before being killed in his hospital bed. He said although public hospitals were, by their nature, not high security facilities, the community and staff could be assured of their safety.
“We do not expect such crimes to be perpetrated in facilities which aim to cure the sick.”
Despite Northern Cape police offering a R50 000 reward for information about the four suspects, no arrests have been reported to have been made.
Responding to the latest incident, the SA Medical Association (SAMA) said “This is yet another example of public hospitals failing to protect staff.” s
SAMA chairperson Dr Angelique Coetzee has asked hospital management to explain how a patient could wander around the hospital with a knife, and why there were not enough security staff on duty in the casualty ward on Friday night.
“Doctors in casualty wards provide critical services, and cannot be looking over their shoulders every minute, concerned they might be the next victim.”
The man was arrested after the attack and is due to appear in the Kimberley Magistrateʼs Court this week.
TimesLIVE article – Two doctors stabbed by patient at Kimberley hospital (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
More than 30 SA hospitals report serious security incidents in past 5 months
Attacks on doctors highlight security dangers in state hospitals
Spate of attacks reveal training failure of hospital security guards
Ramped up security following killing of hospital patients