Madam Deputy Speaker, the DA is appalled by the allegations that a male nurse at the Mokopane Hospital in Limpopo last week attacked a male patient with a broomstick.
The nurse refused to provide the patient with a urine pan when asked for it. The patient, who had been tied to the bed, was in an embarrassing and unavoidable situation, as he had no choice but to wet his bed. The nurse then got angry and used a broomstick to punish the patient by hitting him over the head.
After hearing about this incident, I visited the hospital and took these horrible photos of the patient's injuries. I saw the wounds on his head, his swollen face and bloody eyes, his swollen arms and hands, and the bruises across his chest. The patient was in a far worse state than when he arrived at the hospital seeking medical treatment. Is this the right to health care as enshrined in our Constitution? I hope not.
The fitness of the staff member to perform his duties must be investigated. He must be disciplined and dismissed. Paying an admission of guilt fine of R500 on a charge of assault is not enough. How many other patients have been treated in a similar manner by this nurse?
I have now also been informed that the chief executive officer of the hospital has tried to persuade the family of the patient not to bring a case against this hospital. This allegation also needs investigating by the Limpopo department of health.
When patients are admitted into hospital, they are in the care of the Department of Health. We call on the department to act decisively on this incident to restore confidence by the public in the Mokopane Hospital.