S. African police to patrol health facilities to curb attacks

Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-07 04:18:40|Editor: yan
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JOHANNESBURG, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Due to recent attacks on healthcare professionals in some hospitals, South African police will be deployed to patrol certain health facilities to maintain safety.

"For the festive season, we have been assured that police will assist in patrolling those hot-spot health facilities especially those facilities in areas where gang violence is high," Popo Maja, spokesperson for National Department of Health, told Xinhua on Thursday.

Three doctors at Letaba Hospital in Limpopo were attacked weeks ago. It is alleged that a group of armed men overpowered security guards and injured the doctors.

"We suspect the attacks are driven by criminality which is unacceptable and which is why the police have made an undertaking that there will increase their patrol," Maja said.

Cassim Lekhoathi, acting General Secretary of Democratic Nursing Organization of South Africa, told Xinhua on Thursday that attacks on health care professionals have occurred in several provinces including Gauteng, Kwazulu-Natal and Limpopo.

With fears that violent attacks on healthcare professionals might escalate during the festive season, security in health facilities should be beefed up, Lekhoathi said.

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