Hospital security ‘a farce’

THE assault of two people on the premises of the Windhoek Central Hospital in separate occasions two weeks ago has staff and doctors questioning whether security at Windhoek’s health facilities should not be considered a mere farce.

The two, a doctor and a student, were reportedly robbed and assaulted within two days of each other inside the hospital yard while security guards assigned to guard the property remained oblivious to either incident until complaints were raised later. Concerned staff have noted especially the number of holes in the hospital fence through which people can move freely, in contrast to those individuals who have to be inspected by security guards at the hospital’s official gates.When The Namibian this week visited the hospital, we counted and photographed eight holes in the hospital fence, where no security is present.One of the assault victims, Cuban doctor H.Sarmientos, is currently being treated for a skull fracture at a private hospital in Cape Town.According to information obtained from the Namibian Police, Sarmientos attended a farewell party for a fellow Cuban national who was returning home to Cuba on the night of February 18.After leaving the party, he apparently decided to meet a colleague at the hospital’s Block F.Sarmientos reportedly told Police that he was sending a text message to this colleague when he was hit on the back of the head with a rock and fell unconscious.The culprit or culprits made off with only his cellphone, valued at approximately N$1 000.The doctor was first taken to the Katutura State Hospital, and later that week was flown to South Africa.That incident happened at between 20h45 and 21h00 that night, Police confirmed.The second incident, which anonymous sources at the Katutura State Hospital have confirmed, involved 17-year-old student Mathew Vatilifa, and is said to have happened two days after the first incident, on February 19.The details surrounding this case are unclear, as Police spokesperson Sergeant Stephan Nuuyi said no criminal case had been reported to them.It is understood that Vatilifa was assaulted by a group of men who stole his cellphone.He has since been discharged from the Head Injury Unit of the Katutura State Hospital, the sources said.When contacted about these incidents, Kobus Visser, the CEO of Namibia Protection Services, who was recently awarded the tender for providing security at the hospital, said his company’s hands were tied.”We can only man those areas where we are assigned to,” he said, adding that while the holes in the fences do prove a serious threat to security, it was up to Government to fix them.An employee of the security company who earlier spoke to The Namibian said the company had raised the issue of the holes with the Ministry, but to no effect.”Maybe only when we shoot someone or one of us gets killed will we see some response,” the employee remarked.Visser said his company was concerned about the incidents of violence, and added that they now regularly had meetings with the Ministry to try and close the security loopholes.Ministry of Health and Windhoek Central Hospital managers, including the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, could not be reached for comment this week.The Medical Superintendent of the Windhoek Central Hospital, Dr Helen Nkandi-Shiimi, is said to have been unavailable since January.Concerned staff have noted especially the number of holes in the hospital fence through which people can move freely, in contrast to those individuals who have to be inspected by security guards at the hospital’s official gates.When The Namibian this week visited the hospital, we counted and photographed eight holes in the hospital fence, where no security is present.One of the assault victims, Cuban doctor H.Sarmientos, is currently being treated for a skull fracture at a private hospital in Cape Town.According to information obtained from the Namibian Police, Sarmientos attended a farewell party for a fellow Cuban national who was returning home to Cuba on the night of February 18.After leaving the party, he apparently decided to meet a colleague at the hospital’s Block F.Sarmientos reportedly told Police that he was sending a text message to this colleague when he was hit on the back of the head with a rock and fell unconscious.The culprit or culprits made off with only his cellphone, valued at approximately N$1 000.The doctor was first taken to the Katutura State Hospital, and later that week was flown to South Africa.That incident happened at between 20h45 and 21h00 that night, Police confirmed.The second incident, which anonymous sources at the Katutura State Hospital have confirmed, involved 17-year-old student Mathew Vatilifa, and is said to have happened two days after the first incident, on February 19.The details surrounding this case are unclear, as Police spokesperson Sergeant Stephan Nuuyi said no criminal case had been reported to them.It is understood that Vatilifa was assaulted by a group of men who stole his cellphone.He has since been discharged from the Head Injury Unit of the Katutura State Hospital, the sources said.When contacted about these incidents, Kobus Visser, the CEO of Namibia Protection Services, who was recently awarded the tender for providing security at the hospital, said his company’s hands were tied.”We can only man those areas where we are assigned to,” he said, adding that while the holes in the fences do prove a serious threat to security, it was up to Government to fix them.An employee of the security company who earlier spoke to The Namibian said the company had raised the issue of the holes with the Ministry, but to no effect.”Maybe only when we shoot someone or one of us gets killed will we see some response,” the employee remarked.Visser said his company was concerned about the incidents of violence, and added that they now regularly had meetings with the Ministry to try and close the security loopholes.Ministry of Health and Windhoek Central Hospital managers, including the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, could not be reached for comment this week.The Medical Superintendent of the Windhoek Central Hospital, Dr Helen Nkandi-Shiimi, is said to have been unavailable since January.