Armed panners at hospital
HEALTH personnel at Kwekwe District Hospital are living in fear of attacks from assailants who besiege the hospital, while brandishing dangerous weapons.
Staffers were last week left shaking after four gun-totting men pounced on the institution, a move which has become synonymous with the institution as gold wars escalate in the mining town.
Kwekwe District Hospital superintendent Dr Patricia Mapanda told an all-stakeholders’ meeting on Tuesday that the men, brandishing different kinds of firearms, came to the institution, but left without harming anyone or taking anything.
“Last week, armed robbers pounced on the hospital in the middle of the night,” she said.
“They, however, left without taking anything or harming anyone and we thank God for that.”
The men were believed to be hunting for their victim who was admitted at the hospital, a move now common at the institution.
“We are not sure whether they wanted to rob or they were looking for one of our patients,” said Dr Mapanda. “But from what I gathered, they were looking for a patient, but did not find him and left. We thank God that no one was harmed.”
Dr Mapanda pleaded with Government authorities to beef up security at the health institution.
“We are appealing to the relevant authorities to consider beefing up security at the institution as lives of not only patients, but also health practitioners are at risk,” she said.
“We have been recording cases of murder, people invading our premises with dangerous weapons such as machetes and guns. Our nurses are living in fear of these deadly assailants who besiege the institu- tion willy-nilly.”
Chairperson of the Kwekwe Civil Protection Unit, who is also Kwekwe District Administrator, Mr Fortune Mpungu expressed shock at the matter and promised to take necessary measures.
“Kwekwe is a mining town and many things happen there,” he said. “However, some may go unnoticed if the authorities do not raise them. We thank you for raising the matter, it is a matter that we are going to look at as a matter of urgency.”