Cape Town – The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health has reportedly fired two security guards who were caught on video allegedly assaulting a disabled 13-year-old boy in a hospital.
Reports indicated that the incident occurred on Thursday evening at Ladysmith Hospital and the video has circulated on social media, causing outrage.
The boy shown in the video, has a disability and was previously residing in a shelter before he was admitted to Ladysmith Hospital, News24 reported.
He has since been transferred to another healthcare facility in Durban.
In the video, the child can be seen crying while one of the guards repeatedly strikes him, with the other guard also joining in the assault.
Notably, no nurses were observed attending to the boy or intervening to stop the security guards.
DA KZN leader Francois Rodgers said the fact that these security guards were in the wards was questionable.
Two security guards from a Ladysmith hospital in KZN have been dismissed after they were filmed assaulting a 13-year-old patient last Thursday. DA KZN leader Francois Rodgers says the fact that these security guards were in the wards is questionable.https://t.co/ePvNxmLzus pic.twitter.com/CJR0N64hOr
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) October 2, 2023
The Health Department has launched an internal investigation and the outsourced company that employed the security guards promptly dismissed them.
Disciplinary actions are also being taken against the nursing staff involved, the department said.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
