MBOMBELA – Patients, who have had to wait months for elective surgery at Rob Ferreira Hospital, are now delayed even further because of a shortage of clean linen.
The problem has been ongoing for six months, but reached crisis level last week as personnel at Themba Hospital have embarked on a strike. Premier Mr David Mabuza recently promised that dilapidated infrastructure and staff issues in state hospitals in the province would be addressed. However, Lowvelder‘s questions to Mabuza and the Department of Health, remain unanswered.
Various sources in the hospital have alerted the newspaper about the crisis, saying that the situation has become unbearable. They chose to remain anonymous, out of fear of victimisation.
“Several theatre lists are being cancelled because of an unavailability of clean linen,” one of the sources said. “Three hours were lost on Friday, another three on Monday and by Tuesday morning we had already lost two because we had to wait for linen.”
The problem persisted on Wednesday and was still not resolved at the time of going to press on Thursday (yesterday). The source explained that up to three gowns and 10 sheets were used for one procedure. “Rob Ferreira doesn’t have a laundromat and its autoclave (steam steriliser) isn’t working. Its linen is transported to Themba Hospital to be sterilised.
“However, Themba regularly experiences problems with water supply and now its personnel have embarked on a strike because of payment issues. We are already limited by time constraints and the shortage of linen isn’t helping,” the source said.
Lowveld Hospital is assisting by sterilising Rob Ferreira’s linen in its autoclave. Although emergency procedures haven’t had to be referred to other hospitals yet, another source added that they had to perform emergencies like C-sections without enough clean linen. “It is dangerous, but it’s a risk they have to take.”
This source also told the newspaper that some theatre personnel had taken it upon themselves to buy supplies like batteries to operate laryngoscopes, out of their own pockets. “Basic necessities are out of stock and personnel are subsidising it themselves in an attempt to assist the province’s people.”
What is even more horrifying, are stories of medical waste, such as amputated legs, that have had to be stored in fridges because Rob Ferreira’s waste is not being removed. “The contract with the service provider has expired, so rubbish – including medical waste – is not being removed regularly. There have been instances at the hospital where bags containing human waste such as amputated legs, were stored in a fridge because it couldn’t be removed timeously,” a third source said.
“It is time that this province is held accountable for its absolute neglect of the people.”
Wie dit mag aangaan:
Ons het so 3 weke terug vir Mnr dd Ridder in die hospitaal gaan kuier vir die 19H00-20H00 besoek tyd met ons aankoms het een van die wagte by did hek na dfank gestink, wat ons by hospitaal ontva gste gerapporteer het, en sy was wder aan diens na daai insident.
Die grootste probleem is Mnr de Ridder is al 6 weke daar altwee sy bene is al ge-amputeur maar die linker bo been het nog sgdeds nie n pen in soos gese was wat gedoen moes geword het nie die bo been is sleg gebreuk en moet n pen in kry, en n Mnr Francois wat ook in n onbeluk sy regter onderbeen verloor het is eers na ook amper 5 weke “vasgestel” sy linker voorarm is ook gebreuk, sy vrou waak lang ure daagliks by hom die staf “doen hulle rondtes” skryf dan in die leers hulle het pasient gewas en of gesmeer wat hulle nie gedoen het nie die vrou was self haar man, kan daar nie Bekwame mense aangestel word nie????????
Die Dr doen nie eens die moeite en bel die pasiente se vrouens terug soos versoek is nie en hy gese het hy sal mens het geen idee wat met die pasiente aangaan, foug is en of gedoen moet word nie niks dis n puzzle situasie werk maar alles vir jouself uit, genade tog wat gaan aan met die staats hospitale dis lewens waarmee julle speel en dit stink in die gange alles is glad nie op gesondheids standarde nie dis pateties vensters is vuil en die mure die bedde goed lyk of dit uit asgatte gekrap is om te gebruik ons regering kan regtig nie so “arm” wees as hulle hulself verryk en onbekwame mense aanstel in hospitale nie, genade waar is hulle mentaliteit!!!!!????????
Wie dit mag aangaan:
Ons het so 3 weke terug vir Mnr de Ridder gaan kuier in die Rob Ferreira hospitaal, dit was op die besoek tyd van 19H00 -20H00 tydperk.
Met ons aankoms by die hek het die een sekuriteits vrou na drank gestink ons het dit by ontvangste geraporteer en raai wat sy was weer aan diens na daai insident.
Die grootste probleem is Mnr de Ridder is al 6 weke in die hospitaal altwee sy bene is ge-amputeur en wag nog steeds laat die pen in sy linker bo been ingesit moet word soos gese was hulle gaan doen en al lankal al gedoen moes gewees het!!!!!!!
En dan is die bedde goed in n patetiese kondisie dit lyk asof dit van die asgate af gekry is nie so vuil nie maar so geskeur en vol gate!!!!!!!! Die beddend is net so gehawend en vensters is vark vuil die mure alles is net pateties dis glad nie naastenby op gesondheids standarde nie!!!!!!!!!!
Dan is daar n ander pasient wat ook al 6 weke daar le en regter onder been ge_amputeur en na 5 weke word daar eers agter gekom sy linker voorarm is ook gebreuk???????????????????
Die staff “doen hulle rondtes” skryf dan in pasiente se leer wat het hulle alles gedoen soos hulle was en smeer bed reg trek ens ens terwyl sy vrou ure om langs sy bed waak en haar man self versorg, die Dr is nooit te siene te kry nie hy skakel nooit die pasiente se vrouens terug soos gevra is hy moet doen nie en selfs gese het hy sal, is dit nou n puzzle game sorteer en raai maar wat is fout wat gaan aan en wat moet nog gedoen word as dit ooit gedoen gaan word.
Ons land kan regtig nie so arm wees as die regering hulle self verryk en ONBRKWAME mense aanstel wat met lewens SPEEL nie, genade waar is die mentaliteit heen??????????