Medical staff not safe at public health facilities
There are serious concerns over the safety of health workers at public health facilities in several Provinces around the country.
According to DA Shadow Minister of Health, Michele Clarke, more than 200 incidents of hospital and clinic staff were attacked or threatened by patients or assailants over the past two years.
Over half of these took place in KZN.
These shocking statistics came to light following a parliamentary question and painted a bleak picture regarding the safety of medical staff.
dangerous infrastructure
Public health personnel have enough on their plates with broken and dangerous infrastructure, staff shortages, medicine stockouts, and broken equipment, to name just a few. They should not also have to deal with robberies at gunpoint, physical, verbal, and sexual abuse, death threats, or violence of any other kind. These staff provide a vital service to communities and the Health Minister must do more to ensure their safety while on public health facility premises.
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The Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) reviews the security of health facilities as part of their ideal clinic checks. The DA will submit a follow-up PQ to the Health Minister to determine how many facilities passed their OHSC security reviews.
The Minister needs to prioritise the safety of clinic and hospital staff. The country is already facing a critical shortage and a steady exodus of medical professionals. Failure to improve their safety will surely exacerbate the situation.