Patient dies in Klerksdorp as strikers prevent doctors from doing their job
Dr Ebrahim Variava says ‘opportunistic thugs’ are involved in violent behaviour including looting and the disruption of health services
A patient died as doctors could not attend to emergencies due to the continuing strike in Klerksdorp‚ North West. Ambulances and medical staff were prevented from entering the Tshepong hospital in Klerksdorp on Wednesday, but the situation has since calmed down. Dr Ebrahim Variava‚ who works at the hospital‚ said a patient died as they could not attend to the emergency. "The patient‚ who was stabbed on the neck‚ ended up dying because we were blocked from attending to them. I am not sure if their injury was related to the strike. Another one with a gunshot wound survived because the [patients] were later transferred to another hospital when the protestors left‚" Variava said. Variava said because they could not attend to some patients and had to turn them away‚ they would have to see them on Monday. "As a contingency plan we had a helicopter drop staff into the hospital‚ but the protestors noticed and came in. They then dispersed the [staff] and chased them out of the hospital. Doct...
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