Johannesburg - Two men were handed over to police by the Mdantsane community who accuse them of stealing and vandalising electrical cables at the Cecilia Makiwane Hospital, leaving the vital facility in the dark and unable to fully operate.
Eastern Cape Department of Health spokesperson, Yonela Dekeda said: “The suspects were injured during the apprehension by community members, resulting in them being treated at the very same hospital they are suspected of stealing from.”
The Eastern Cape MEC for Health Nomakhosazana Meth has welcomed the swift action by the Mdantsane Forum on Thursday.
“This is what active citizenry looks like, so we are happy that the Mdantsane community took a stand and apprehended the alleged criminals. We applaud them for being patriots. However, we caution people against taking the law into their own hands,” Meth said.
“We now hope that the police will build a solid case against the suspects and help the state prove beyond reasonable doubt that the men are indeed behind the vandalism and theft of electricity cables at the hospital.
“Vandalising and stealing electricity cables of a hospital is tantamount to premeditated murder, because we deal with life and death situations. Such criminality and thuggery also exposes the department to possible medico-legal claims should anything happen to patients. We are happy that this time no one lost their lives because of this,” Meth added.
The department also revealed that the vandalism and cable theft at the Makiwane Hospital is the latest incident in a string of cases where health facilities are targeted by criminals.
Criminals stole municipal electrical cables in Dordrecht, resulting in services at Dordrecht Hospital being affected overnight. Generators have kicked in to ensure services do not grind to a halt. The kitchen is running on gas at the moment. The municipality has promised to prioritise fixing the cables.
The Fort Beaufort Hospital has also fallen prey to thugs, as copper pipes from water piping in the theatre ablution were stolen this week.
The Marjorie Parrish TB Hospital in Port Alfred is currently dependent on its generator, after electrical cables were stolen recently. The department is busy with the process of having the repair work being done.
“In the last 18 months, there have been 120 burglaries at health facilities in Nelson Mandela Bay. Criminals in the Bay seem to be targeting air conditioners which affects services, as vaccines have to be moved to other facilities when this happens.” said Dekeda.
In other latest incidents, air conditioners were stolen at Algoa Park Clinic and the clinic in central Gqeberha.
Staff at KwaDwesi Clinic and Tshangana Clinic have also been robbed at gunpoint in recent weeks.
There was also a burglary incident at the Gqeberha Lilitha Nursing College’s recreational hall where 13 electrical plugs and switches were stripped and vandalised. Wiring of the sound system and wiring from toilets to passages were also stolen.
There were also two incidents of cable theft at Empilweni Hospital last year which affected both electricity supply to the hospital and telephone lines.
Thugs also cut the fence at Dr Malizo Mpehle Hospital in Tsolo and stole equipment and a microwave in August.
There was also a break-in at St Lucy’s Provincial Hospital in Tsolo in December. Criminals gained entry by cutting the fence.
All the incidents have been reported to the police.
The department has applauded the police and courts for their diligent work as the culprits have been sentenced for six months and the stolen property was also recovered.
Meth has also called on the SAPS to continue to prioritise cases involving health facilities and workers.
“Our facilities and workers are under siege from criminals. Such lawlessness should not go unpunished,” said Meth.
The department has embarked on a security risk assessment to establish what interventions are needed at different facilities as a way of strengthening security.
This includes beefing up technology and physical security guards. CCTV cameras and security beams are being installed while appropriate fencing is also being erected, among other measures.
The department is also working in partnership with other government departments like Justice, Community Safety and Policing cluster and the Clinton Health Access Initiative to strengthen their security systems and improve safety at health facilities.
Electricity at the Makiwane Hospital was restored on Thursday afternoon after the department appointed a contractor to fix the damage. Although the generators on site are functional, the missing cables meant that the electricity generated by the generators could not be conducted to the various parts of the hospital.
“A preliminary report indicates that the perpetrators dug a hole underneath the fence to gain entry to the facility. Mobile generators had to be deployed to the facility to operate critical areas — areas like the adult and paediatric ICUs and the kitchen so that patients could have warm food.
“Normal operations at CMH have resumed,” said Dakeda.
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