Ambulance driver opens assault charge after being 'attacked' by striking nurse

An ambulance driver transporting a critically ill child has laid a charge against a nurse who allegedly punched him when he tried to pass striking health workers outside Stanger Hospital in KwaDukuza, KwaZulu-Natal, on Wednesday.

IPSS Medical Rescue spokesperson Samantha Meyrick told TimesLIVE the crew was rushing the child to the facility for urgent care when its members came under attack.

She said the ambulance driver has opened a case of assault at the KwaDukuza police station.

Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This comes amid crippling illegal strike action which started on Monday and has disrupted the functioning of a number of hospitals, community health centres and clinics in the country.

The National Education Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) is demanding a 10% increase for its members.

Meyrick said the boy, his 13-year-old brother who accompanied him, and an attending paramedic were in the back of the ambulance at the time.

Their father was to meet them at the hospital.

She said the child suffered an injury last week, which had turned septic, making him severely ill.

“When the team pulled up to the front of the gate, the striking workers started banging the front of the ambulance with a panga. The driver asked them to stop because they were damaging the vehicle. When he did that, he was punched from behind by a male nurse.”

Meyrick said the striking workers then opened the side door of the ambulance.

“This is blocked by the ambulance conversion, so they couldn't access the vehicle, but they could look inside. Our medics screamed at them and closed the door. They claimed they were checking whether the ambulance was transporting staff into the hospital.”

Meyrick said they eventually gained access to the hospital to securely treat the child. 

She said with many state facilities being “pretty much closed” because of the strike, they have limited options for patients who need hospital care.

“We are trying to make a plan. If we do have a serious patient who has to go to hospital, we have to phone around and see which facility has a doctor who is willing to accept. A lot of the health facilities still have doctors on site,” said Meyrick.

Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane said on Wednesday: “Allow healthcare workers to get to work so they can save lives. And do not stop patients from coming into our health facilities because if you continue to do so, you will have blood on your hands.”

Simelane said the workers’ demands fell “outside the jurisdiction of the provincial government”.

TimesLIVE