The Gauteng Department of Health has suspended five nurses at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria after they allegedly left a sick patient unattended. The 28-year-old patient later died at the hospital.

The incident came to the department's attention after a video clip showing other patients shouting at the nurses and begging them to attend to the patient went viral. In the video that was taken last month, people can be seen surrounding the patient who seemed weak, while one nurse was busy on her cellphone. The people can be heard pleading with the nurse to help the patient was 'dying' in front of them. "Help this person. A person is dying in front of us, and you are busy on your phone, please do your job," another patient pleaded.

The Department of Health spokesperson in Gauteng Motalatale Modiba confirmed the incident. "Five nurses from the Steve Biko Academic Hospital have been placed on precautionary suspension by the facility management following allegations of gross negligence. "This emanates from an incident at the hospital involving a 28-year-old, which was captured on video, by a member of the public at the emergency unit on Sunday, 25 February 2024. The employees have since been suspended to allow further investigation into the incident. Sadly, the patient demised while in hospital," Modiba said, adding that the incident happened at the time the hospital was strengthening interventions to improve patients experience to care. "In a bid to promote harmony at the workplace, the facility management is also strengthening the working relations with organised labour within the facility. The facility management continues to engage the affected family to enable redress process to unfold. Counselling services have also been offered to the family," he said.