PANDEMONIUM broke out at Chaisa Clinic in Lusaka yesterday afternoon when a distraught female patient, fueled by outrage shed her dignity along with her clothes to prove that she had no sexually transmitted infection.
The dramatic outburst was sparked by a heated exchange between the patient and a registry clerk, identified as Richard Mwansa.
According to witnesses, the 14:30 altercation began when the patient attempted to purchase a clinic book with a K20 note, only to be rebuffed by the clerk, who demanded the exact K3 note.
As the situation escalated, the clerk is reported to have threatened to beat her and hauled vicious insults, shouting that her behaviour was a result of having Syphilis.
Incensed by the clerk’s alleged accusations and blatant disrespect, the woman took drastic action, unwrapping her chitenge and throwing it down to remain only with underwear.
She confronted the clerk challenging him to point the syphilis symptoms on her while other patients and visitors to the health facility watched in shock.
The clerk, taken aback by the patient’s daring move, is reported to have jumped out of his work space and ran to the stock office and locked himself inside.
Determined to prove him wrong, the half-naked patient, still fuming, followed the clerk throughout the clinic while staff members from neighbouring offices and patients from consultation and observation rooms spilled out to catch a glimpse of the commotion.
Supervisors at the health facility eventually intervened, calming the situation and coaxing the patient into a private room for a tense but ultimately peaceful resolution.
When contacted, Mwansa confirmed that the incident did indeed occur, but vehemently denied accusations that he had insulted the patient by claiming she had Syphilis.
Instead, Mwansa alleged that the patient was the one who had hurled insults at him, including that he was a “son of a dog.”
Mwansa said he had only advised the patient to pay the K3 for the clinic book.
“I apologized to her and asked her to forgive me for whatever I may have done to wrong her, but she just kept insulting me,” Mwansa explained.
A call to the clinic supervisor, Regina Sukwa went unanswered.
Kalemba November 22, 2022
