Deputy Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the Council -
1) notes that the South African Medical Association, SAMA, has raised serious concerns about lax security at public hospitals in the Western Cape province, and the consequent threat to the lives of staff and patients;
2) also notes that provincial health department statistics show that during the 2009-10 financial year, the province recorded almost 1 600 incidents in which doctors and nurses were either threatened, assaulted, mishandled or attacked with weapons while on duty;
3) further notes that these incidents are rampant at public health care facilities situated in poor areas of the Western Cape, such as the G F Jooste, Atlantis and Tygerberg hospitals; and
4) takes this opportunity to call on the provincial government of the Western Cape to prioritise the security at all public hospitals and provide all patients and medical practitioners with a safe and dignified health care environment.