A young mother is fighting for her life after standing on an electricity cable brought down by protesters outside a hospital where she had just given birth.
The woman stepped on the live cable moments after leaving the hospital with her newborn baby and suffered severe burns.
The cable, attached to a pole outside the hospital, was brought down during a service delivery protest.
It is alleged the protest action, which started on Tuesday, also led to a blackout and two-day shutdown of the Siphethu hospital in Ntabankulu.
The protesters also allegedly dug trenches and prevented ambulances from entering the facility.
The 20-year-old victim, who has not been named by authorities, has burn wounds to her head and body after stepping on the cable on Wednesday.
She was rushed back into the hospital in a critical condition.
Her baby was unharmed.
Eskom has since replaced the vandalised pole and restored power.
The protest action broke out on Tuesday as residents from surrounding villages targeted the hospital demanding electricity for their homes.
Police were called in to disperse the group, which is alleged to have tried to storm the hospital.
Yesterday police maintained a strong presence outside the hospital.
The Democratic Nurses’ Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) in the province condemned the protesters’ actions and added the incident highlighted “shoddy” security at health facilities.
Provincial department of health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo confirmed the incident but said it had nothing to do with the hospital.
“The community was protesting about electricity and other service delivery needs. We are concerned about people who target essential services issues that are not even our responsibility,” said Kupelo.
He said health MEC Dr Phumza Dyantyi, with superintendent-general Dr Thobile Mbengashe, would address the issue of the shutdown when she visits Holy Cross hospital today.
Kupelo said the visit was “coincidental” as Dyantyi was there to sort out matters related to hiring of staff and improving health services.
Ingquza Hill local mayor Pat Mdingi, who was asked to address the protesters, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Acting provincial Denosa secretary Khaya Sodidi said it was “unfortunate” medical workers were viewed as “soft targets” by protesters.
Sodidi advised the protesters to direct their fury at local government or their municipalities instead.
“As much as we can understand their frustrations about lack of service delivery, we cannot under any circumstances allow hospitals to be targeted.
“As an organisation, we have been saying for years nurses are becoming soft targets not only in this province but the whole country.”
He said the protesters’ actions were counter-productive. “They are compromising the lives of those who are sick from their very own communities.
“It is a disruption of the very same service delivery they are fighting for,” said Sodidi.
He emphasised calls on security to be improved at health facilities.
“We are not convinced the security is enough. There are a number of cases where nurses have been robbed and raped at work because security is shoddy,” he said.
lIn Ngcobo, staff were alarmed when a disused section of the emergency unit was gutted by fire on Wednesday at All Saints Hospital.
No injuries were reported. The department is investigating reports the fire could have been caused by loadshedding.