/ 14 January 2006

Health minister condemns orgy in hospital

Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has condemned a nursing student sex orgy that reportedly took place in the children’s ward of a KwaZulu-Natal hospital.

”Under no circumstances can we allow such horrible incidents to occur in our facilities,” the minister said in a statement on Friday.

”There should be severe consequences for anyone who brings the name of our facilities into disrepute and undermine the dignity of our patients, especially children.”

The Sowetan reported earlier in the day that two female and three male trainee nurses were expelled after the incident that happened a few days before Christmas.

A mother comforting her sick child in the Charles Johnson Memorial Hospital in Nquthu raised the alarm.

Unsettled by the ”huffing and puffing”, she reported that she had witnessed the student nurses engaging in group sex.

The students were doing practical training at the Charles Johnson Memorial Hospital in Nquthu in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

A few days before Christmas they reportedly engaged in group sex while on night duty at the hospital.

The SA Nursing Council also bemoaned the incident.

”This behaviour of persons who are training to enter the nursing profession is considered to be highly unacceptable,” said the council in a statement.

”Nursing is a noble profession and the conduct of members of the nursing profession should at all times be professional and exemplary.”

The council said it would investigate the matter as well as the apparent lack of supervision at the hospital. – Sapa