Two students at the Welwitchia Health Training Centre’s Kombat campus are facing disciplinary action today after posting a TikTok video of themselves dancing in a hospital theatre two weeks ago.
The two third-year students, Smart Muranda and Charmaine //Hoëbes, made the video in a maternity theatre at the Khorixas District Hospital.
According to a notice of their disciplinary hearing from the institution on Monday, which The Namibian has seen, the students are facing charges of unacceptable behaviour in a clinical area.
“You disobeyed the Welwitchia Health Training Centre (WHTC) code of student conduct by showing unacceptable behaviour in nursing practice, and bringing the good name of the university into disrepute,” the notice reads.
The hearing was scheduled to take place yesterday, but was postponed to today.
Muranda yesterday said she and //Hoëbes were simply celebrating successfully assisting with the delivery of a baby.
“It was hectic for us, and it was our very first time to experience such a feeling.
“The patient was taken to the theatre, was operated on, and the baby was fine, and she was also fine. After that, because we were happy, we decided to make a TikTok video,” she said.
“After a few days we got a call from the school that apparently we were mocking the school uniform and we were not supposed to dance in uniform,” she said.
“Apparently they do not know whether we had alcohol with us or were under the influence of drugs. We even told them that we will never be under the influence of drugs because we are at work,” Muranda said.
However, she said, the university said they may be dismissed.
“But there are other students whom we have been doing Tik Tok videos with ever since our first year,” Muranda said.
She said the head of the campus asked them to write a statement to explain why they made the video.
“On Tuesday afternoon, we received an email from the school saying we have to attend a disciplinary hearing on Thursday, but we asked them to postpone it to Friday [today], because we are far and we have to inform our parents, and they made it for today,” Muranda said.
She said //Hoëbes posted the video on TikTok, adding they didn’t think the school would see it.
“We didn’t do anything that was inappropriate in the video. There is no alcohol or offensive content in the video at all,” she said.
“What if they suspend us or dismiss us from practicals?” she asked.
Muranda said the school’s code of conduct does not mention dancing in uniform.
WHTC Kombat campus head Elizabeth Kateta yesterday referred The Namibian to the dean of students, Festus Mbangu.
Mbangu referred The Namibian back to Kateta, saying he has no comment on the incident.
Students Union of Namibia (SUN) president Benard Kavau yesterday said his office was not yet aware of the matter and promised to follow up on the issue.
“But I must say a happy nurse is more likely to perform their duties well, compared to a stressed nurse. Nurses must not be kept in an environment where they cannot cheer for themselves,” Kavau said.
He called on nursing training institutions to respect the rules of professions, adding that employees need to be happy.
“I also want to caution people, especially those with uniformed professions, to know when to post and where to post. But these are young people, they are still learning and need guidance,” he said.
Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement activist Johannes Johannes yesterday said after going through the general regulations and rules of the institution, and reviewing the video, he believes the decision to institute disciplinary action was unlawful.
He demanded that the institution withdraw the disciplinary proceedings.
“Should management persist and forge ahead with the hearing, we would have no other choice but to go the legal route in seeking redress,” he said.
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