​The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) has strongly cautioned the public against  a new form of intimidation which masks itself under the guise of "so called oversight" where staff are targeted. 
This follows a concerning interrogative video posted on social media whereby one of the staff members was filmed at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH) while being questioned about their personal information related to their employment and nationality. 
In another related but different incident, a healthcare worker at Halfway House Clinic was body shamed and insulted by an angry patient who took photos and videos without her consent shared them on social media.
Motalatale Modiba, GDoH Head of Communication said that often unverified information which distorts facts gets shared on social media platforms in a manner that seeks to incite the public. 
"Not only are the rights of employees to discharge their duties in an environment free of threats and intimidation infringed upon, often the rights of patients to privacy and dignity, are grossly violated," said Modiba. 
Modiba confirmed that the nurse in question at CHBAH has been part of the healthcare system since 2011 and has a permanent residence and valid South African identification, and advised the public that oversight of public health facilities must be conducted in accordance with laws protecting patient privacy and the operational integrity of healthcare facilities. 
While the public has the duty and the right to report malpractices that can undermine service delivery, it must be done in a manner that does not infringe on the very services we seek to protect or by undermining the laws of the land. 
There are also various accountability institutions that have been established both in government and outside of government which have the capacity to process any concerns that public may be having. If left unchecked this new form of intimidation will end up undermining the very checks and balances that have been provided for in our constitutional framework.
The public has also been warned that hospital authorities have the legal right to restrict access to facilities, for as long as that restriction is not in violation of the public's right to access healthcare, so as to protect patient confidentiality, privacy, and operational integrity and employees.