Security guards fired for allegedly assaulting elderly patient in KZN

Two private security guards have been dismissed from work for assaulting a patient in Estcourt Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal.

The two were first suspended with immediate effect after a video of them assaulting an elderly patient in the hospital went viral on social media. The incident was not reported to the hospital management and there was no intervention from a nurse who is believed to have taken the video.

HEALTH MEC WELCOMES SUSPENSION OF SECURITY PERSONNEL

KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu said that as soon as they were made aware of the video, they instructed the private company responsible for the security personnel who were assaulting the patient to be dealt with decisively.

Simelane-Zulu also expressed her disquiet that the video appears to have been filmed by a hospital staff who failed to intervene during the assault or report the matter.

Zulu said: “Unfortunately, when we got there, we had not been informed and we engaged with management of the facility and it was clear they were not aware that security personnel in their hospital assaulted a patient. They were hearing about it for the first time from us.”

“It is extremely concerning that instead of making management aware, they decided to send out the video. If they had followed processes you’ll find that the patient might not have been assaulted as severely as they were. We hear that it might have been one of our health workers who took this video. If it is, then it is very unfortunate.”

KZN Department of Health spokesperson, Agiza Hlongwane

Hlongwane also said there is an on-going investigation and the nurse who is believed to have filmed the incident but did nothing else has been placed on precautionary suspension, pending finalisation of the investigation.

READ: Hospital Assault: Health MEC now probes case against healthcare worker