I would do it again – guard who saved lives
enrolled nursing assistant Fikile Xulu‚ who was also trying to remove the patient‚” the department said.
“With the help of security colleagues‚ nurses and other staff members‚ the door was forced open and Xaba emerged with both of them.”
As Xaba began to fetch another patient – he doesn’t know how many he helped because “it happened so fast” – he ran into trouble.
“I pulled out the bed with the patient‚ but when I got out there was just too much smoke. My nose was blocked and I couldn’t breathe through my mouth. That’s when I collapsed‚” Xaba said.
He was rushed to the casualty ward‚ where he received medical attention before being transferred to Stanger Hospital.
The mentally disturbed patient was taken to King DinuZulu Hospital‚ while nursing staff were sent to the casualty unit for screening and later received counselling.
Xaba‚ who harboured dreams of being a police officer‚ said he was proud of what he had done.
“I think I displayed courage. I’m proud of what I did. I would not hesitate to do it again to save lives. If it was another person‚ I don’t know if they would have done it.”
Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo was moved by what Xaba and other staff members did. “What this young man has done is unbelievable, literally putting his life on the line like that to save lives. He helped us avoid a disaster. That is heroism.
“Our honourable president‚ Mr Cyril Ramaphosa‚ always encourages the spirit of #ThumaMina‚ to say that we should take the initiative … put our country first and do things that will benefit others. What Xaba did on Tuesday is the embodiment of exactly that. We are extremely proud of him‚ as well as everybody else who helped out during this emergency‚” Dhlomo said.
Damage to the wards is still being assessed‚ the department said. – TimesLive