Tembisa Hospital Shooting Leaves Nurse Dead and Policeman Injured, Hospital Temporarily Closed
- A policeman arrived at Tembisa Hospital and tried to commit murder-suicide by shooting a nurse and then turning the gun on himself
- The enrolled nursing assistant was killed at the scene and the policeman survived but has critical injuries
- Tembisa Hospital has decided to close its doors for the time being to allow the police to investigate the crime scene
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TEMBISA - This morning (9 February), a policeman drove a South African Police Service (SAPS) vehicle with its blue lights on to Tembisa Hospital and once there, parked the car in the parking lot closest to the Accident and Emergency Department.
The policeman made a cellphone call to a SAPS colleague, aged 30, who joined him at the hospital. The second policeman, who was a constable on duty, shot the enrolled nursing assistant and then shot himself.
According to a statement by the Gauteng Department of Health, the nurse was fatally injured and died at the scene. The policeman was severely injured and is in critical condition. He was airlifted to a nearby hospital to receive treatment.
Source: Twitter
The hospital's response to the murder-suicide attempt
Tembisa Hospital decided that it would not be accepting any new patients or visitors for the time being. The hospital's calls have been diverted to surrounding health facilities. The closure also enables the police to conduct their investigation of the crime scene, eNCA reports.
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Staff and patients will be provided with counselling services to process the shock from the incident and debrief after the experience. The hospital is expected to reopen within the next few days and a statement will be released when this happens.
Brigadier Brenda Muridili told Briefly News that the policeman's hospital room will be guarded and he is facing a murder charge. The motive for the crime is not known at this stage. Muridili added that the accused will stand trial once he has been discharged from the hospital.
South Africans react to Tembisa Hospital shooting
@PreciousRanoto remarked:
"This is so sad!"
@magiya85 believes:
"A gun in the hand of a mentally unstable person is never a defensive weapon. Thorough background checks must be done before an individual gets a gun licence and buys a gun. Too many guns in the hands of too many wrong people are a danger to ordinary citizens."
@_Lesego24 shared:
"He doesn't deserve medical care. He just killed a nurse and they expect her colleagues who just witnessed this gruesome act to treat this evil man. He must be left to die."
@Thobile_Petu said:
"He better survive this, and may it haunt him! He must also live until 100!"
@SNkoala asked:
"What have we done?"
South Africans celebrate Tembisa Hospital having no Covid patients
In other news about Tembisa Hospital, Briefly News previously reported that for the first time since the start of the Covid 19 pandemic, Tembisa Hospital in Johannesburg has no patients with the coronavirus.
Staff members were jovial after the hospital's last two Covid patients were sent home recently. The hospital's spokesperson Noko Pela said since Tuesday, the hospital had officially recorded zero Covid-19 patients.
Tembisa Hospital CEO Dr Ashley Mthunzi says the hospital is now Covid-free and she attributes this development to people getting vaccinated as well as non-pharmaceutical interventions.
Source: Briefly News
