Leratong infrastructure fails the people – DA

Service delivery at Leratong State Regional Hospital is declining as a result of overcrowding due to a lack of infrastructure, said the DA.

Alan Fuchs, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Infrastructure Development said this was revealed after the recent Infrastructure Committee Portfolio oversight visit to the hospital.

The News along with other media and members of the committee were invited to visit Leratong Hospital on 23 October.

“Staff who are afraid to speak out due to victimisation by management indicated that both the casualty and medical wards needed to be doubled in size to meet demand and the standard of services required.

“No progress has been made in upgrading the dilapidated nurses home. In addition the hospital still has too few technical staff to preform maintenance and there are insufficient IT support resources to implement the e-maintenance system effectively,” he said.

It also was revealed that the installation of elevators took two years to complete and the project to install a new boiler had come to a standstill after being completed only 75 per cent.

Fuchs added that five mini theaters are standing idle.

“Putting these facilities to use would contribute towards reducing the overcrowding. Patients could have minor procedures performed there as opposed to being admitted to the wards,” Fuchs said.

Hospital staff indicated concern over the number of legal cases that arose from allegations of negligence during child birth, as well as the poor attitude of nursing staff towards patients.

“The private sector has stepped in and offered to upgrade infrastructure that should have been done by the Department of Infrastructure Development,” he concluded.

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