Nurses stay away from clinic duty

30 July 2008 - 02:00
By unknown

Riot Hlatshwayo

Riot Hlatshwayo

A man who sustained serious injuries after being stabbed at a tavern was allegedly turned away at KaNyamazane Clinic in Mpumalanga on Monday night due to the unavailability of nurses.

The man, who was identified only as Tshepo, had been involved in a fight after 7:30pm.

Security guards at the clinic told the people who had brought the injured man that there were no nurses at the clinic.

A nurse, who spoke to Sowetan on condition of anonymity, said her colleagues at the clinic were forced to work overtime without being paid.

Sowetan has established that a nursing sister left the clinic on Monday evening after it became clear she would be working alone at night.

When contacted for comment, the nurse said: "Just go to the clinic and find out for yourself. There are very serious managerial problems but I don't want you to get that from me, just go there."

Mpho Gabashane, the provincial health spokesman, has promised to investigate the problems at the clinic.