Pretoria - The KwaZulu-Natal Health Department has called on people who paid bribes to a woman posing as a nurse in the promise of jobs in hospitals, to submit information and evidence to the hospitals where they were promised employment.
A 29-year-old woman was arrested on Tuesday at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital after she posed as a nurse and took bribes of up to R5 000 from unsuspecting job seekers in the promise of jobs at the hospital.
It is alleged that she claimed to have contacts inside the hospital that would ensure that those who paid the bribe received employment in return.
"The department wishes to assure those who have reported and those who wish to complain that their matters are being addressed. Efforts to identify and root out these syndicates are well in advance," said department spokesperson Chris Maxon.
Maxon said the woman's arrest follows two other cases, where employees of the department have been dismissed for the same acts of solicitation involving millions of rands.
"One senior staff member from St Francis Hospital in Mahlabathini was dismissed and recently lost an arbitration after she received a R3 000 bribe from a job seeker.
"Another general orderly from Addington Hospital was also dismissed after she received bribes of around R3 500 each from four unsuspecting job seekers.
"There are a number of public complaints that are being investigated by the department, where it is alleged that some staff members received bribes. It is understood that people pay from R3 500 to R10 000 for jobs," Maxon said.
The 29-year-old woman appeared at the Durban Magistrates' Court, where her case was remanded for further investigation.
