Manto acts on hospital rape
2005-02-09 18:43
Johannesburg - Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has expressed shock at the attempted rape and subsequent death of a woman patient at Pretoria Academic Hospital.
"The structure of the hospital, which has (40) multiple entrances, poses a major challenge for access control," she said in a statement on Wednesday.
Security staff were now searching the hospital at the end of visiting hours to ensure that all visitors had left the wards.
Patrols would be conducted throughout the night and anyone found on the premises other than staff and in-patients would be escorted out of the hospital.
Maintaining an appropriate balance between public access and security was a major challenge for health facilities, she said, urging all provinces to ensure the safety of their patients.
Loui Emmanuel Sipoge, 30, appeared on preliminary charges of the rape and murder of the 65-year-old at Pretoria magistrates' court on Wednesday.
He was remanded in custody until he obtained legal representation.
- SAPA