Gloria Motsoere22 April 2024 | 5:13

Protests cannot put lives of people in danger - Health Department

The health department has condemned the violence that led to the disruption of operations at the Temba Hospital in Mpumalanga.

Protests cannot put lives of people in danger - Health Department

Picture: @SAPoliceService/X

JOHANNESBURG - The Department of Health will now work with police in Mpumalanga to prevent community protests from interfering with operations at the Temba Hospital. 

The hospital shut its doors following a community protest that turned violent, leading to the assault of staff and patients. 

ALSO READ: Health Dept, Mpumalanga police to quell protests at Temba Hospital 

The facility was out of commission for three weeks, after medical practitioners were advised by their unions to down tools until the matter was resolved.

The department said that while communities had the right to protest, it could not put the lives of people in danger. 

It has commended police in the region for their swift response in attending to the matter, saying the police stand ready to attend to any disruptions at the hospital.