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The IFP has called for the Departments of Health and Police to work in
collaboration to ensure stringent law enforcement in South Africa's
healthcare facilities, even if this means creating a police presence in
hospitals and clinics.

This follows the arrest of three men who attempted to rob a doctor's surgery
in Soweto in order to steal anti-retroviral drugs.

The IFP's Parliamentary Spokesperson for Health, Mrs Hilda Msweli, said,
"The increase in armed robbery where ARV theft is involved is a clear call
to action. We must ensure the safety of healthcare workers and their
patients. At this point, we need to bring in the police."

The IFP believes that the Department of Health must strengthen security
measures in clinics and hospitals in order to prevent criminals from gaining
access to these facilities.

"We also call on the Minister of Health to make ARV treatment accessible to
patients wherever they are," said Mrs Msweli. "When people have to travel
long distances to collect their ARVs, they become vulnerable to being robbed
for their medication."

Those targeting patients are often drug addicts, particularly those who use
'whoonga' or 'nyaope'.