A surge in attacks on health workers in KwaZulu-Natal has provincial government concerned, after several healthcare vehicles were damaged or set alight, a worker held hostage and another threatened that he will be burned alive while he had a tyre around his neck.

A statement by KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane reveals that three incidents happened on Wednesday and yesterday.

In the first incident on Wednesday, a nurse had to pay all the money she had on her to prevent a group of assailants from burning her colleague alive.

According to information, mobile health teams were en-route to various mobile clinic points in the Umzinyathi District when they were forced off the road by armed men in a Toyota Quantum.

It is alleged that the health care workers involved were assaulted, robbed of their belongings, sworn at and asked by their attackers ‘How are you working while we are unemployed’.

The attackers placed a tyre around one of the men’s necks and threatened that they were going to douse him with petrol and set him alight. The windows of two vehicles were smashed while a third was set alight.

In one of two separate incidents yesterday, a healthcare inspector underway to the Monyane clinic in Nkandla, was abducted and held hostage by angry protestors after he and three colleagues were forcibly removed from their vehicle which was set alight.

The man was rescued after three hours.

An angry crowd who allegedly threatened staff and burnt tyres and trash at the Cato Manor community health centre in Durban, was dispersed by police using teargas.

The incident caused a disruption in services and some staff members had to be treated for teargas inhalation, says the MEC.

Simelane has appealed to communities not to attack healthcare workers or destroy public property because it deprives communities of much-needed healthcare services and resources that are meant to aid them.

She says the latest attacks are a serious setback to efforts to make healthcare accessible to everyone, including those in the rural areas.

“Replacing vehicles and repairing damaged buildings could mean we’re unable to pay staff, buy medication, health technology equipment, or do routine maintenance work.”

“We strongly condemn these actions and wish to call upon all right-thinking South Africans not to harbour these criminals within their ranks, but rather isolate and report them to law enforcement authorities.”