HEALTHCARE workers suffer punches, slaps and human bites in hospital wards.
Since the beginning of the year, the Gauteng Department of Health has recorded 43 vicious attacks on hospital staff by patients.
Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi said most of their attackers were psychiatric patients.
Mokgethi was responding to the DA’s questions in the provincial legislature.
It’s understood that the attacks took place in 17 public hospitals across the province, where mental health patients were not kept in secured psychiatric wards due to limited beds.
Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital had the highest number of attacks, with 16 healthcare workers attacked with klaps and punches to the head, as well as two human bites and one hit on the groin.
George Mukhari Hospital has recorded five assaults on staff by mental patients, with two attacks in the accident and emergency, one of which was attempted strangulation. Three attacks at the Far East Rand Hospital were human bites, and the fourth attack incident, a healthcare worker, was injured on the upper lip and jaw.
Jack Bloom of the DA said hospital staff were living in fear during working hours.
Bloom said: “All mental patients admitted to hospital are required to be observed for 72 hours, but facilities are still inadequate even though pledges were made to improve mental health care after the Life Esidimeni tragedy.
“Staff and mental health patients are victims of this neglect, which needs to be rectified as soon as possible,” he said.
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Bloom said the DA was proposing that a proper safety audit of hospitals be conducted, especially at hospitals that receive psychiatric patients.
Other hospitals that recorded violent incidents include;
-Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, with four attacks, including a speech therapist who was bitten on the finger.
-Bheki Mlangeni Hospital with four attacks.
-Steve Biko, Sebokeng, Bertha Gxowa as well as Leratong hospitals, each suffered two attacks on staff.
