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A nurse at Thabong Clinic in the Free State was assaulted by a male patient on the morning of Friday 16 January. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the nurse relayed the incident to Health-e News.
“He acted familiar, like someone who knew me before today. But for me, it was a totally new person who came to the clinic for the first time. I jokingly said to him I’m going to drag my feet when it’s his turn,” she says.
“When I asked for patient IDs, he said he did not have one. I ignored him, thinking he was also joking.”
Clinic staff need patients’ identity documents to issue and retrieve patient files. It was at this point that the man started insulting the nurse. A verbal exchange ensued and quickly escalated.
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Thando Shopo, who witnessed the incident, believes the patient was wrong. “It’s a known fact that before getting your file, you should show your ID. But the guy was not using the right words to explain his issues. He insulted the nurse and threatened to beat her.”
Another patient who was at the clinic at the time of the incident, Lesego Mekhoe, says: “He began to forcefully open the door of the reception area and beat the lady. No one helped the worker because the guy had been threatening to shoot everyone who might intervene.”
“He beat me with fists and kicked me. My body is aching. It’s hard for me to walk, and I have pain in my ribs,” the nurse tells Health-e News.
Free State health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi says the patient went on to assault the clinic manager, who had tried to intervene and resolve the matter.
The suspect was arrested and charged with assault. He’s currently out on a warning and will appear in court on 26 January.
“The department will conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and explore measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. As an employer, we have a responsibility to ensure the safety of our employees,” say health MEC, Viceroy Mahlatsi.
The nurse is receiving counselling.
This is not the first case of a nurse being assaulted by an unhappy patient at Thabong Clinic.
In 2024 a man poured a bucket of faeces over a nurse because he was frustrated by the long waiting time. The man, who was on parole at the time, was arrested and charged. In 2025 he was found guilty of assault and sentenced to 18 months in jail. He has since been released from prison. – Health-e News
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