The safety of patients in Mpumalanga hospitals is again in the spotlight. This is after a pregnant patient was allegedly raped by a general worker at the Embhuleni Hospital in Nhlazatshe near Emanzana last week. It is alleged that the perpetrator pretended to be a doctor before raping her.
A group of Nhlazatshe residents chanted slogans outside the Embhuleni Hospital, calling on the management of the hospital to improve the security and safety of patients. It is alleged that a male employee, who is a cleaner, raped a pregnant woman who was at the hospital for medical attention.
“We are here to demand the safety of the residents in this hospital in what has happened. We want the hospital, in every corner, to have cameras so that our community is safe.”
“Our concern is that we don’t know what happened, we don’t know what is happening and we don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow. We as the community are afraid and scared as we are using this hospital. We want to know what will happen, what is the management saying or what is the management doing about this,” says a community member.
The Department of Health says the alleged perpetrator has been suspended.
Health Spokesperson in Mpumalanga Dumisani Malamule says, “Apparently someone pretended to be a doctor and offered to examine the patient. When we established further we discovered that he is one of our employees who is a cleaner at the hospital. What happened is something that is already under police investigation. But as a department as soon as the matter was reported, the employee has since been suspended pending an investigation. As the department, we will allow the law to take its course.”
Police Spokesperson Leonard Hlathi has confirmed that they are investigating a case of rape. Hlathi says it is not the first time that the alleged perpetrator is accused of rape.
“What troubles us so much is that it is not the first time that we are dealing with him on similar issues. During November there was another case that was opened against him. We arrested him this year 2021 February and we have taken him to court, however, there were technicalities that the prosecution says that we need to complete. We are busy with those instructions of the prosecution. But now he has raped somebody else. Well, we will be doing our job and we are hopeful that we will arrest him soon.”
Police have called on other people who may have been victims of the suspect to report to the local police station.
