- A nurse at King Dinuzulu Hospital has been provisionally suspended, after video of her allegedly assaulting a patient went viral.
- The DA says it will report the nurse to the South African Nursing Council, and wants criminal charges to follow if the allegations are confirmed.
A nurse at King Dinuzulu Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal has been provisionally suspended, after a video showing her allegedly assaulting a patient spread widely on social media.
The video, which surfaced on X, shows the nurse standing beside a patient’s bed. She is seen pointing at the patient, then shoving her finger in his face. The two exchange words before the nurse moves on to another patient in the ward.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health said it had noted the video with serious concern.
“The Department unequivocally condemns this behaviour in the strongest possible terms. The conduct displayed in the video is completely unacceptable, violates the core values of our healthcare system, and will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” it said.
DA health spokesperson in the province, Dr Imran Keeka, said the department must follow its internal disciplinary process, but that the matter cannot end there.
He said the party will report the nurse to the South African Nursing Council, the professional body responsible for nursing conduct and ethics, and that criminal charges should follow if the allegations are confirmed.
“Patients go to healthcare facilities to be treated, cared for and healed, with dignity, compassion and respect. They do not go to be assaulted, humiliated or abused, whether verbally or physically,” Keeka said.
“The law and every applicable professional process must come down hard on this individual if the allegations are proven. There must be consequences, and those consequences must send an unequivocal warning to every other healthcare professional: abuse of patients will not be tolerated.”
Pictured above: A screenshot of a video taken during an altercation between a patient and a nurse.
Image source: Supplied
