HEALTH workers fearing for their safety downed tools at Themba Hospital in Mpumalanga.
This after a group of "concerned community members" invaded the hospital and allegedly attacked them on Thursday, 4 April.
The workers went on strike calling on the government to prioritise their safety after the same group of community members stormed into the hospital on Tuesday afternoon, 2 April, with fire extinguishers and allegedly sprayed them in the hospital offices.
The concerned community members are said to have come with bakkies and threatened other staff who wanted to take videos of the action on Thursday, 4 April. At least four doctors are said to have been attacked.
KaBokweni Business Forum chairman Majaheni Nyalunga denied that the concerned community members came to attack the staff, "but we support them in their cause".
He told Daily Sun that they came to the hospital to raise issues that the community is not happy about.
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He claimed that the problem started when a male doctor took out his cellphone and started taking pictures of the community.
"A doctor was assaulted for taking photos of the community members without their consent. What happened is wrong. It was also wrong for the doctor to take photos without their consent, and it was wrong for the community member to assault the doctor," he said.
Jacqueline Mthombothi from Sandriver, near Hazyview, told Daily Sun that she was turned away without any explanation.
She said she was hurt because she now had to return home without her treatment. She said she relied on public health care because she can't afford to go to a private hospital.
Another outpatient, Simphiwe Phiri, who was supposed to go to Steve Biko Hospital for an operation, said she doesn't know what to do because the hospital was at a standstill. Simphiwe said she was worried that her health would be further affected if she did not go for surgery.
"My heart is hurting. I was supposed to get a letter today and go to Pretoria on Monday to have the operation. Now I'm here and I don't know what to do. I'm afraid that the delay could affect my health," she said.
Philip Mashaba, who went for a check-up, said he was only told to come back when the hospital was operational.
"My screening appointment was today. I was surprised when I arrived here and no one was there. There are no doctors or nurses. They told me to come back when everything is back to normal and I don't know when that will be."
The hospital gates were closed and there was a large police presence.
The South African Medical Trade' Union has since released a statement saying that no doctor will go to work until their safety is guaranteed again.
Mpumalanga Health MEC Sasekani Manzini has condemned the community's action. She said they would meet the Community Safety MEC to discuss safety issues.
"We've agreed that over the weekend we will talk to the MEC for safety to increase security in terms of the police and ensure that workers go back to work. We would urge members of the community not to support this kind of thing as it disrupts a lot of things. We will be meeting again on Monday to make sure all workers go back to work," she said
Mpumalanga police spokesman Colonel Donald Mdluli said cops were investigating cases of assault.
