DA North West wants health MEC to intervene at ‘unhygienic’ Tshepong Hospital

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in North West called for department of health MEC Madoda Sambatha to intervene at Tshepong Hospital in Klerksdorp due to its unhygienic conditions despite being a Covid-19 designated point.

This comes after the party called on the health department to clarify the matter of forced isolation at the hospital on Sunday.

DA provincial spokesperson on health and social development Gavin Edwards said patients suspected of contracting Covid-19 were being placed in forced isolation at the hospital for days on end while they wait for their test results.

Edwards said the patients were in forced isolation while the hospital did not have clean running water.

“For the last two days, there has been no water at all. The bathroom facilities are filthy and there is no sanitiser available,” he said.

The spokesperson said the medical and cleaning staff did not have access to personal protective equipment (PPE) placing themselves and patients at risk while they had free movement in and out of the facility.

“We cannot allow professional medical and cleaning staff not to have access to PPEs. We will be asking for an update from the MEC on the department’s ability to supply PPEs at all medical facilities in the province,” he said.

Edwards said that patients were being kept in an open ward, under unhygienic conditions, while the situation was not in line with minimum standards required for a hospital.

“These unhygienic conditions at the Tshepong Hospital must be addressed immediately.

“The DA has taken the matter up with the MEC for the department of health, Madoda Sambatha, for his urgent action,” he said.

The spokesperson said North West medical facilities responsible for treating Covid-19 patients should “not compromise the basic human dignity of people and greater care must be taken to prevent infection amongst staff and patients”.

(Compiled by Molefe Seeletsa)

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