Staff at the Thelle Mogoerane Regional Hospital in Vosloorus have called for the Gauteng department of health to bring in the South African Police Service (SAPS) to secure the hospital while it is dealing with the strike surrounding non-payment of the hospital’s security guards.

On Wednesday‚ workers at the hospital tried unsuccessfully to have a meeting with hospital management to raise the issue of the safety of patients and staff after the security guards downed tools.

In the morning‚ staff chased away management personnel‚ ordering them to go to the Gauteng department of health to find a solution to the risk posed by the absence of security at the hospital.

Later‚ staff allowed members of management back into the hospital in the hope that they would have a meeting with staff. But when the workers gathered at the hospital auditorium‚ management failed to meet them.

A health worker who was part of the group demanding answers explained the situation to the publication: “We are saying to the [Gauteng] department of health and management they should just bring the police. It is not safe for anybody to work here. There are violent patients who can really harm the medical staff. Anybody can walk in here and cause harm. Let them bring the police as a temporary measure while the issue with the security guards is being sorted.”

“t is strange that our call for the police has not been heard. If we were burning things here the police would be here in no time. Let the police come and protect the hospital‚” said the worker‚ who did not want to be named.

The security guards from Sidas Security Guards downed tools on October 19 after they were not paid. According to the Trade Union of Security Industry in SA (Tusisa)‚ the Gauteng department of health agreed to pay the security company within five days of the meeting held on October 19.

But Tusisa advised its 167 members working as guards at the hospital not to return to their posts. The guards have been reporting and signing in at the register at the hospital‚ but not doing any work. Guards looked on on Wednesday as a patient walked out of the hospital building‚ not to return. It is unclear whether the patient was discharged.

Already a psychiatric patient has died after he hanged himself. The psychiatric ward also has patients who‚ unguarded‚ could pose a serious threat to the medical staff.

Medical staff told the publication that the situation was unacceptable because their safety was not guaranteed.

Thugs have already started making a meal out of the situation by stealing taps in bathrooms to be sold as scrap.