Two nurses who assisted with a volunteer campaign to help cancer patients up seven flights of stairs after the only working lift in a section of Port Elizabeth’s provincial hospital broke down‚ have received written warnings.

The sanction‚ which has been met with disbelief‚ came from the Eastern Cape Department of Health after the nurses were found to have contravened the department’s “media policy”.

Thulane Madonsela‚ the chief executive of Livingstone Tertiary Hospital‚ which includes Provincial‚ confirmed the disciplinary action on Monday‚ saying employees were expected to adhere to its policies.

Cole Cameron‚ secretary for the Igazi Foundation – a non-government organisation supporting the Aloe Igazi haematology ward on the seventh floor – had made an urgent call on Monday last week for volunteers to assist as rubbish‚ medical waste and dirty linen were piling up. This as the only working lift in M-block remained broken for the eighth day.

The nurses who have now been disciplined agreed to assist with the volunteer campaign and the next day received volunteers on the seventh floor. The volunteers‚ including well-known comedian and radio show host Roland Gaspar‚ had arrived at the hospital to lend a hand.