Rob Ferreira Hospital: Interns say they work without supervision

MBOMBELA – Interns at Rob Ferreira Hospital are at their wits end as they reportedly have to sometimes work unsupervised because there are no senior doctors available to assist. Informed sources allege that this happens at least six times a month.

And although the medical manager of the hospital, Dr Gladys Koete, has issued a letter stating that the hospital will not accept any transfers without the availability of a senior doctor, the Department of Health says it’s merely a contingency plan, should there be, for any unforeseen reason, no senior doctor available.

Rob Ferreira is the province’s referral hospital and all major orthopaedic, paediatric and other medical cases which cannot be attended to in other hospitals, get sent here.

In recent media reports it was alleged that intern doctors have to work unsupervised because of a lack of senior doctors. An intern the publication had spoken to, said that medical officers were leaving because of the terrible working conditions at the hospital, forcing them (interns) to do calls at night with absolutely no senior supervision.Lowvelder spoke to a source who confirmed this and sent the publication a letter issued by Dr Koete, stating that any unit within Rob Ferreira without a medical officer must inform the clinical manager accordingly, who will then inform all the hospitals in the area.

“The unit will not accept any transfers in and will not admit any patients to the unit. Casualty will attend to the emergencies, stabilise them and transfer them to the nearest hospital. The intern will attend to patients in the wards in consultation with the specialist on call or a medical officer on call in another unit as may be arranged,” the letter read.

Lowvelder has reported before on the fact that more than 2 000 patients are waiting on orthopaedic surgery since there was only one surgeon available.

Also read: More than 2 000 patients waiting on orthopaedic surgery

In the most recent reports it was claimed that four interns without the necessary experience reportedly had to attend to up to 90 patients in the orthopaedic unit, along with hundreds more in the clinic.

Spokesman for health, Mr Dumisani Malamule, refuted this, saying that surgical, orthopaedic and paediatric units have a consultant on call daily. “Interns work under supervision of senior doctors – either a medical officer and a consultant.” According to Malamule, there are a minimum of five doctors within the surgical, orthopaedic and paediatric units during working hours respectively. He added that three were available per unit after hours.

“Senior doctors are always available. This letter is a contingency plan should there be for any unforeseen reasons no senior doctor available. In such cases patients are stabilised and if there is a need, sent to the facility which is skilled to manage such a case.”