Rahima Moosa hospital in Johannesburg, 4 April 2022, were a video went viral showing pregnant women sleeping on cold floors. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
The situation at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital which has forced pregnant mothers to sleep on floors in the hallways has been par for the course for at least a year, according to patients, and some have even had to endure this after giving birth.
The situation was put in the spotlight this past weekend, when video footage which was tweeted by Patriotic Alliance MMC for health in Joburg, Ashley Sauls, prompting calls for action, including charging foreign embassies for the treatment their citizens receive in South African hospitals.
Also Read: Gauteng must charge embassies for foreign patients treated at public hospitals – DA
According to Nthabiseng Dinolo, who gave birth at the mother and child hospital in August 2021, the situation had not improved since last year, as the hospital did not have beds then either, and mothers were never warned about the lack of capacity.
“During my daughter’s labour, they couldn’t take me to the labour or maternity ward because they were full. I saw a long queue of pregnant women waiting,” she said.
“I gave birth right at the casualty ward, and even after that trauma, they didn’t offer counselling for me. What’s worse is I had a premature labour and also had to go through all of that.”
Dinolo said when they tried to report the poor service or put in a complaint with the management, they were told that they speak too much, and forced to keep quiet in fear.
“Even after the birth of my daughter, I was asked to choose whether I leave her there and go home or stay and sleep on the floor,” she added.
“And that was when I decided to sleep on the floor so that I could be present for my baby, because they had been complaining that they were also short staffed, which to me meant they could not tend to our babies properly.”
Another patient who verified Dinolo’s story, Emelda Adams, said the past couple of days had been hell for many heavily pregnant women who were often sleeping on the floor, and she believed many of them were getting discharged due to the video which caused a furore on social media.
“I don’t know why it’s so hard for them to transfer some women to other hospitals if their capacity has been surpassed,” she said.
Meanwhile, Health MMC Sauls said it was worrisome that the hospital’s CEO Dr Nozuko Mkabayi was worried that he had violated patients’ rights by recording pregnant women sleeping on the floor, when she should be worried about the service they provide to patients.
“During my activism, I was not allowed to go and see the wards, because I was not authorised and they could keep me out of the hospital or the specific wards, yet people were still complaining on social media,” he said.
“And this time around, unfortunately for them and fortunately for the residents of the city, I now have the authority to go in and see what is going on. And to my horror and utter disgust I went in there and it was true.”
He also said during an interview with 702 that Mkabayi lied and claimed he went into the hospital under false pretence. However, he said he had made it clear from the beginning who he was and what his duty was being at the hospital.
Speaking to 702, Mkabayi said being referral only, they do not take patients that come in from the streets, but their patients had to be booked in the clinic, and the nature of deliveries are often complicated.
“However, we have a huge number of patients that come from outside the border. Some come straight from Park Station with suitcases,” Mkabayi added.
“About 40% of the patient load is foreign patients. Whether they are documents or not documented is not our forte.”
However, Gauteng MEC for Health Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi visited the hospital to engage with management and said the hospital did not have a policy of turning away patients.
“It receives and treats patients as they arrive at the facility and refer where possible,” the Gauteng health department tweeted.
“We continue to look at short term measures to manage the patient inflow, however, the long term solution is to increase the overall capacity of the healthcare system in the region.”
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