North West MEC for Health Sello Lehari, has condemned the kidnapping of a nurse at the Jouberton Community Health Centre in Klerksdorp, at the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District.
According to the department, the male nurse was abducted by an unknown suspect(s), who allegedly pounced on him at the entrance of the facility and drove with him to an unknown location in the area, extorting money from him before releasing him unharmed.
The suspect was later traced and retrieved by police upon being released by these men, and a psycho-social support team has been dispatched to the facility to counsel workers.
Lehari and other department senior officials, visited the centre to meet with the affected staff, stakeholders and assured them of their safety.
“I have instructed managers that, immediately when I leave this facility, they should send more security officers and beef up postings.
We also need work closely with the police, as this is a bigger community issue here,” said Lehari.
The MEC called for calm and continuation of delivery of quality healthcare services.
Jouberton is notoriously known for its gang violence and has been identified as a hotspot by the police.
Nurses and doctors allege that gang violence affecting the township often spills into the facility, placing their lives at risk.
The MEC assured the workers that the department will guarantee their safety, while emphasising the need to now refocus all the attention on the provision of quality primary health-care services to the people.
“If the issue of security remains a problem and is as negligent as it is now, we will have to terminate and bring in another company that will take our employees’ safety seriously,’’ warned Lehari.
The MEC encouraged the residents to continue to use the health services offered at the facility, as it is safe and secured.
