Organisations mobilise at Halfway House Clinic after nurse experiences online bullying
“Regarding the incident that took place on January 16, 2025, at Halfway House Clinic in Midrand, we apologise for any inconvenience or distress caused to patients and staff,” says the City of Johannesburg Health Department.
The Progressive Forces of South Africa (PFSA) and the Health and Allied Workers Indaba Trade Union (Haitu) condemned the online abuse of a Halfway House Clinic nurse.
A video on the Zimbabwean Crime Watch page on X shows an incident between a nurse and a patient. In the post, the patient claims to have waited too long for medical attention and demands to be seen immediately.
The video prompted solidarity for the nurse, leading PFSA and Haitu to visit the clinic on January 20 where they spoke with clinic management.
They learned that the nurse was on lunch when she was called by her line manager alerting her that more patients were waiting to see her. This included the patient in the video who was demanding to be prioritised.
Mthunzi said this patient entered the consulting room while another person was being attended to by the nurse, insisting on being seen immediately.
“The patient in the room and the nurse were drawn into a squabble,” added Mthunzi. “This took a bad turn as she [patient] even became physical to the nurse according to an eyewitness statement of another patient.”
In defence of the nurse, Mthunzi said healthcare workers understood that Section 27 of the Constitution provided that everyone had the right to have access to healthcare services. “We therefore can safely conclude that in the short carefully cropped viral video, the patient was not denied this right despite being a Zimbabwean national.”
The president of PFSA Mthetho Ngcukayithobi said the clinic management could have done more to protect the nurse during this difficult time, highlighting the broader exploitation and abuse faced by South African healthcare workers.
“The video portrayed the nurse negatively while she was managing patients in an overstretched public healthcare system, making her a target of severe online bullying,” said Ngcukayithobi.
Mthunzi and Ngcukayithobi raised concerns about the strain on South Africa’s healthcare system and advocated for a better support system for healthcare workers, including mental health services and legal aid. They also called for stricter measures to prioritise South African citizens in accessing public healthcare.
City of Johannesburg Health Department addresses the incident at Halfway House Clinic
Also read: Mental health team encourages residents to seek medical assistance at Halfway House Clinic
The executive director of health at the City of Johannesburg Dr Gadirobe Mothibi said the Joburg Health Department was committed to providing exceptional healthcare services to its patients in a timely and professional manner.
“While we strive to minimise waiting times, we acknowledge that delays can occur due to the high volume of patients visiting our facilities. Nationally, the average waiting time at government clinics is 180 minutes,” said Mothibi.
“Regarding the incident on January 16 at Halfway House Clinic, we apologise for any inconvenience or distress caused to patients and staff. An internal investigation has been conducted, and we have implemented measures to prevent such incidents in the future.”
To support the clinic’s staff, the city arranged a group debriefing session and individual counselling for the affected nurse through its Employee Assistance Programme. Additionally, security officers will patrol the facility daily to ensure a safe environment for everyone.
“We appreciate the commitment from the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department to assign seven officers to the facility daily. We urge patients to cooperate with our nurses and voice any concerns to the clinic operations manager. We also kindly request that our dedicated healthcare professionals receive the empathy they deserve, as they work under immense pressure to provide quality care.”
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Related article: Halfway House clinic closed temporarily as of May
