MBOMBELA – Rob Ferreira Hospital is a sinking ship, sailing on waters of almost non-existing service delivery and dilapidated infrastructure. Its captain, former CEO Dr Gladys Koete resigned in December, stating she wasn’t interested in a “job without direction”.
Lowvelder has only uncovered the tip of the iceberg, the terrible state in which Rob Ferreira is currently.
Its continuous reporting on strikes at the hospital as well as a massive backlog in orthopaedic surgery, urged the Public Service Commission (PSC) to visit the hospital yesterday.
However, MEC of health, Mr Gillion Mashego and HOD, Dr Aggrey Morake, were noticeably absent, echoing Koete’s words that she hadn’t received any support.
She is now the clinical manager at the hospital and told Lowvelder, “I am not interested in a job without direction. I tried to make it work and I tried to make a difference, but I didn’t get any support. I tried to unravel the corruption and fraud, but then you become a target. I tried to make things work, but people didn’t listen”.
The newspaper discovered, along with the commission, that the state of affairs at this public health institution was far worse than initially thought.
The visit started off with a tour of the hospital grounds and the commission noted that the grass was not being cut and that the premises was in an overall state of neglect. Cleaners at the hospital had obviously been informed that the PSC was paying the premises a visit and desperately tried to hide worn-out mattresses under heaps of rubble.
National media recently reported on non-working mortuaries in the Free State’s public hospitals. The situation at Rob Ferreira, is no different.
Of the 12 cold rooms inside, only six were in working condition. The handle of one of these six was broken, resulting in the fridge not sealing properly.
A source, who works in the hospital, told Lowvelder that the six cold rooms in question had been broken since last May. No corpses were left outside, but it was unbearably hot inside the mortuary.
Newly appointed CEO, Ms Fridah Nyathi expressed her concern over the fact that none of the cold rooms were able to accommodate the dead bodies of obese patients.
Last August Lowvelder reported that the autoclave (steam steriliser), used to sterilise surgical equipment and linen, wasn’t working. It’s now six months later and three of them still haven’t been repaired.
Other problems the commission came across included water leaks and overflowing drains.
The PSC comprised several officials and they were separated into groups which visited the maternity, psychiatric, paediatric and outpatient wards. They also inspected the pharmacy, kitchen and dentistry divisions.
Koete added that she would start wearing a hard hat to work as the ceiling in various parts of the hospital was caving in. “We were operating on a patient once when the ceiling in one of the theatres collapsed. I had also been working in my office when the ceiling caved in when a helicopter landed on the helipad.”
Nyathi laid the blame for the dilapidated hospital at the door of the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport, which was responsible for maintaining the building. “Public works does not have enough skills.” She added that the pharmacy was in desperate need of renovation and revitalisation.
When Mr David Mkhwanazi, PSC commissioner, enquired about security measures, Nyathi replied, “Security, it is just not there. The security officials are not adequately equipped – only two have firearms and the rest have to protect the hospital armed with only handcuffs and batons. Security needs to be outsourced,” she added and continued by saying that this was the responsibility of the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison.
Lowvelder enquired again about the fact that the hospital only had one orthopaedic surgeon to service the entire province. Nyathi responded that they were in the process of appointing a second. “He was supposed to start in January, but hasn’t signed a contract yet.”
Complaints manager, Sr Francina Henning added that the majority of complaints received were that of missing files.
On a positive note, Mkhwanazi said the wards were very clean, the food in the kitchen was up to standard, the hospital wasn’t overcrowded and the people knew what they were doing. “The patients we saw all looked very happy.”
Ironically, a doctor asked Lowvelder‘s journalist who the unknown officials were roaming the hospital. When the reporter informed him that they were from the PSC, he remarked that that was why the hospital had been “spring cleaned” on Wednesday. Deputy chairman of the PSC, Adv Richard Sizani said he didn’t get the impression that “something was being hidden from them”.
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