Boksburg Explosion | Nurses’ families at peace

The families of nurses who died in the Boksburg Gas Tanker Explosion have expressed pride that their loved ones lost their lives while helping others.

They spoke on the sidelines of Denosa’s commemoration day event, which honoured the lives of the 41 victims of the blaze, including 12 healthcare workers.

On Christmas Eve in 2022, a gas tanker exploded after becoming stuck under a railway bridge.

Two years later, no one has been held responsible after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) dropped its charges against the 32-year-old truck driver who had been behind the wheel when the tragedy struck.

Investigations found the driver had not acted negligently as he had even tried to move the gathering crowd out of the way before passing out from gas inhalation.

Maria Magale’s daughter, Nthabiseng Modisakeng, was described as having been a dedicated nurse at Tambo Memorial Hospital.

She is among those who lost their lives in the tragedy.

Her mother remembered her as a nurse who was happy to help people.

Speaking with YNews, Maria said that while the family struggles to come to terms with her passing every day, they take pride in knowing she lost her life in the line of duty.

Meanwhile, some nurses at the event shared their thoughts on the contentious National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill.

It’s been just over a week since President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the bill into law.

While concerns remain over the proposed funding of the scheme, nurses at Tambo Memorial Hospital are hopeful that the system will help address staff shortages and inadequate resources at public hospitals.

A young nurse spoke to YNews about the financial challenges her family faced while putting her through medical school.

She expressed relief that the NHI will alleviate her family’s worries about healthcare costs.

However, she acknowledged that the current failures of the public healthcare system must first be addressed if it is to survive. Written by Naomi Kobbie