The Free State Health Department spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi, informs OFM News that calm has been restored at the hospital after staff, including nurses, cleaners and junior doctors, went on a brief strike as word spread of the incident around the facility. The medical intern was reportedly resting in one of the quarters when she was accosted by the accused just before midnight. The victim managed to bite off a piece of the suspect’s tongue in the scuffle.

Mvambi says a meeting was held with labour representatives and staff were briefed by the CEO about steps to increase security at the state facility. He says the hospital plans on increasing linkages of response capacity between Security Personnel at CCTV booths and those who are on patrols, as well as providing security with safety equipment to respond to any threats. The spokesperson did elaborate on what the additional safety equipment includes.

This after the University of the Free State (UFS) announced the medical intern is one of their own and further added that the university’s management had expressed its concerns about safety measures in place at Pelonomi with the hospital’s management prior to the incident. UFS spokesperson, Lacea Loader, says this is because the hospital, which is flanked by the Bochabela township and Heidedal, is considered a clinical training platform where medical students are trained and they are concerned about the safety of their students.

In October 2010, after the rape of a 35-year-old doctor specialising in paediatrics at the time, the health department terminated the services of the security company that was serving the institution. Police reservists were appointed to provide security at the facility and a security assessment was conducted where potential hotspots for attacks at Pelonomi were identified. The Department also promised to provide panic buttons which would be used by staff to alert security in case of an emergency.

It is unknown if those panic buttons still exist at the hospital in 2019. 

OFM News