snakes antivenom producers

South African-produced polyvalent snake antivenom short. Image: Unsplash

Escaped snake causing chaos at THIS Gauteng clinic…

A snake has been terrorising patients and workers at a local clinic in Gauteng – preventing people from receiving essential treatments.

snakes antivenom producers

South African-produced polyvalent snake antivenom short. Image: Unsplash

A clinic in Katlehong, Gauteng has been unable to treat patients properly over the past two weeks, after a snake was spotted in the building earlier this month. Staff are now ‘too scared’ to attend their workplace, and the creature remains on the loose.

Gauteng facility brought to a standstill

The Magagula Clinic has been essentially unstaffed for seven of the past 14 days, causing a severe backlog of patients seeking treatment. Some workers have even requested to work in other facilities, due to the fear they have experienced.

The problem, as it stands, is that no-one knows how venomous or deadly the snake is. It’s also become adept at hiding away from the professionals who are desperately trying to catch it.

  • Treatment at the Magagula Clinic in Katlehong has been severely disrupted because a cleaner spotted a snake on Monday 11 July
  • Staff were evacuated when the serpent was first spotted, but it has so far escaped the hired snake-catchers.
  • Attempts to restore normality by the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) have also fallen flat.
  • The clinic is a four-roomed house packed with boxes where the snake could be hiding.

Snake in the clinic: Authorities seek swift resolution

Jack Bloom has had just about enough of this farce, however. The Shadow MEC for Health in Gauteng has urged his opposite number in the provincial government to take further action, so the clinic can operate in a safe and professional manner going forward.

“Clinic staff have not worked in the clinic for seven days in the last two weeks, and are requesting to work in other clinics. Meanwhile, patients are suffering because of the disruption in treatment.”

“I have alerted the Gauteng Head of Department to this sad situation which cannot be allowed to continue. Professionals should be brought in to thoroughly examine the clinic to ensure that staff and patients are safe from the snake.”

Jack Bloom