Ga-Chuene Clinic to close at night after nurses attacked
The Limpopo branch of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa says the Chuene Clinic outside Polokwane will close its doors at night.
It comes after two nurses were assaulted and raped after being abducted from the Chuene Clinic in Limpopo in the early hours of Friday morning.
The Department of Health spokesperson, Neil Shikwambana, says heavily armed men entered the clinic, overpowered three security personnel, and tied them up before abducting the two nurses.
The incident occurred while the nurses were on night duty,
“This incident has reversed all the progress by the department in terms of ensuring that our community has health access even after hours,” Denosa provincial secretary Jacob Molepo said.
Molepo added that they have engaged with the department to grant compassionate leave to nurses and other staff so that they can receive trauma counselling.
It has also requested that the clinic remain completely closed until Monday.
“We can only be comfortable when the perpetrators have been arrested. That is why we have made a submission to put a hold on the 24-hour service until the police manage to arrest these perpetrators,” Molepo added.
Molepo said the provincial Health Department has agreed to their requests, saying the situation is not conducive to a 24-hour health facility.
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