Task team to tackle serious monkey crisis

THE DA in Kwazulu-natal has welcomed Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s intervention, which includes the appointment of a task team to tackle the ongoing invasion by monkeys of hospital wards at RK Khan Hospital in Chatsworth.

On Wednesday, Motsoaledi visited the state facility, which has long struggled with the primates invading the hospital’s kitchen.

The animals recently invaded the wards and were caught on a video that went viral on social media.

DA KZN spokesperson on health, Dr Imran Keeka, said in a statement: “Regrettably, RK Khan is not the only medical facility affected by these primates, which are also causing problems at Durban’s Prince Mshiyeni Memorial and Wentworth hospitals.”

Keeka said the DA would ask Motsoaledi to extend any interventions to both facilities. He said the video had reportedly failed to show an incident in which a patient was bitten by a monkey. The DA would verify this with KZN member of the executive council for health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, and ask what action was taken as a result.

“While the DA welcomes minister Motsoaledi’s attention when it comes to this invasion, he is doing us no big favour. The problems within KZN’S Department of Health are far bigger than ‘monkey business’ at a few hospitals. It is bizarre that it should take the minister to deal with this scourge, a situation that stems from the fact that MEC Dhlomo ignores serious matters when they are raised with him.” | African News Agency (ANA)