By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The KwaZulu-Natal Health Department confirmed that the two security guards who were caught assaulting a 13-year-old boy at the Ladysmith Hospital had been dismissed with immediate effect.
The incident came to light when the video started circulating on social media platforms, leading to considerable shock among viewers.
It has sparked an outcry on social media, with users calling for the culprits to be brought to justice.
The department also instituted an internal disciplinary process against the nursing staff implicated in the incident.
Departmental spokesperson Ntokozo Maphisa said: “As a department, we are shocked and appalled by this incident….MEC Nomagugu Simelane has made it clear that the safety and well-being of our patients are our priority and that their abuse under any circumstances, and in any way, shape or form, will not be accepted.”
Maphisa added that the matter has been reported to the police and to the Department of Social Development.
“We can also confirm that a disciplinary process is under way. This process will look into where the nurses were when the incident took place, who called the security guards, and why the patient was assaulted.”
This incident has shed light on the urgent need for hospitals and other healthcare facilities to review their security protocols and training procedures.