Closure of ICU raises concerns
Local community leaders, including representatives from the Night Owl Neighborhood Watch, Warmbaths Taxi Associations (WATA), Freedom Front Plus (FFP), and concerned citizens, visited Warmbath’s Hospital on Friday, December 1 to investigate the closure of the intensive care unit (ICU).
The Head of the Night Owl Community Watch, Walter Lee, expressed concern over the hospital’s alleged claim of insufficient funds for ICU operations and called upon other stakeholders to look into the alleged lack of funds.
The community is demanding answers and a plan to reinstate the ICU, asserting that lives are at risk due to the lack of critical care services. This hospital does not only serve the local community but is the nearest hospital for people who reside in Vogelstruispan (North West Province) and patients from Pienaarsrivier (Gauteng).
According to Jee-Dee Cloete (Freedom Front Plus councilor) who said after the meeting from which Die Pos was excluded because we represent the media, the hospital had supposedly planned to close the ICU in 2010 and only ceased the services rendered by medical staff in 2020. Cloete offered no further comment on the matter.
Lee emphasized the demand for the ICU’s reopening in the interest of community safety.
“We demand, as concerned citizens and community leaders, that the ICU reopens,” Lee stated.
Israel Molusi, deputy chairperson for WATA raised the concern that if a person gets injured or has cardiac failure, they will have to be rushed to facilities in Mokopane or Polokwane with ambulances which is a scarce commodity.
“That person will have to be transported elsewhere for emergency treatment. Can you imagine what will happen on the way there?” said Molusi.
A formal meeting between the hospital and community leaders has been scheduled for Wednesday, December 6 at 10:00. Lee is hopeful for a positive outcome but stressed that the community expects a response within seven days.
Molusi, however, expressed skepticism about the meeting’s effectiveness, as the problem can only be resolved by the intervention of the MEC.
Die Pos newspaper was there on Friday to represent the media and to inform the public, however, Mr. Moagi, the hospital’s communications manager, asked the media to leave the meeting.
Inquiries to the names of senior staff members were ignored and they refused to answer any media-related questions.
Both Lee and Molusi had the same question. Why was the media not allowed to attend the meeting?
“This raised questions in the community. What are they trying to conceal?” both men asked.
Die Pos visited the hospital again on Monday 4 December to obtain the hospital’s input on the serious matter but was denied access through the hospital gates by security.
They said that they had to phone the Communication Manager or die PA of the CEO first before the media could enter. Die Pos was unable to contact the persons in charge by any means and therefore has no comment from the hospital.
