A health workers' union is demanding tighter security at Uitenhage Provincial Hospital in Kariega, in South Africa's Eastern Cape, after a violent confrontation in its trauma unit on Friday night, Daily Maverick reports.
An organiser for the Hospersa union said the trouble started when a patient arrived with several relatives, despite a rule allowing only one escort. When security staff kept them out, the relatives allegedly tried to force their way in, assaulting guards, breaking glass doors with stones and throwing wheelchairs.
The provincial health department said a man had admitted in a statement to police that he and his wife damaged the doors and windows and had promised to pay for repairs. A case is due to be opened on Monday. The union says staff are regularly exposed to violence and wants more guards and stricter access controls.
Source: Daily Maverick
