Only three municipal-run clinics in the City of Tshwane are equipped with panic buttons despite a recent surge in burglaries targeting the health facilities.
This concerning security gap is revealed in a council report, which highlighted the pressing need to enhance security measures at all facilities managed by the city’s Health Department.
This is in light of a disturbing incident at Hercules Clinic in Pretoria’s Daspoort, where a female security officer was shot and injured during a robbery.
Tshegofatso Mashabela, the MMC for Health, strongly denounced the incident, emphasising that acts of vandalism and violence are a direct attack on the foundation of public health services.
A string of burglaries has plagued clinics in Tshwane, with the Olievenhoutbosch Clinic being targeted a staggering five times, most recently in November of last year.
Thieves stole six computers, several headsets, and the entire set of clinic keys, severely compromising the clinic’s security.
Other clinics, such as Danville Clinic, have also fallen victim to theft.
In May 2024, burglars made off with 33 computers, resulting in a significant loss of approximately R200 000. These repeated incidents have raised serious concerns about the safety and security of Tshwane’s clinics.
The council report also highlights significant concerns regarding the current security systems in place, stating that their effectiveness is “very low”.
This is due to the lack of monitoring at a control centre, resulting in reaction units not being dispatched in response to alarms.
Instead, the effectiveness of the alarms relies heavily on the guards deployed at each site.
The report noted that in the absence of guards, the alarms are rendered ineffective.
Furthermore, the report said, maintenance and repairs of the security systems are hindered by the absence of a service tender or equipment supply contract, limiting the Tshwane Metro Police Department’s ability to address defects.
It also noted that the CCTV equipment is severely outdated, with all systems being at least 15 years old.
According to the city’s Health Department, there had been 18 criminal cases for the 2023/2024 financial year and four incidents for the current year.
The report said: “SAPS case numbers were obtained, and the asset insurance claim reporting procedure was followed. The department did not receive any feedback regarding any arrests or prosecutions. All the health buildings are high-risk areas as the categories of assets the departments used are targeted.”
Mashabela recently urged residents to take ownership of public infrastructure and report any suspicious activities to authorities.