The We Care 4 Nelspruit organisation has cleaned up the vegetation next to Rob Ferreira Hospital for the safety of patients and community members.
According to the founder of the organisation, Pr TJ Maré, they are responding to the matter of patients who had caught rats inside the hospital, and because it was discovered that the surrounding bushes were used as a hiding place for criminals and drug addicts. Maré also demanded the removal of the taxi and private vehicles permanently parked at the main gate.
“We realised the bushes next to the hospital put the life of the patients, visitors and road users in danger on a daily basis. The fact that the health facility has lots of rats is a direct result of the surrounding bushes. It presents a problem to patients who need a clean environment. We had to intervene, as those who are paid to perform this task are not doing it,” he said.
ALSO READ: Mpumalanga High Court convicts ex-cop for shooting his wife dead
Maré stressed the necessity for cleanliness, not only for patients, but also for the medical staff. He said that judging by what was being picked up in the area, it needed urgent attention. “While cleaning, we found empty wallets and bank cards, obviously from people who were robbed, as well as used syringes and pills. The area is favoured by drug addicts. Once we are done with the cleaning and clearing, we will hand over these responsibilities to hospital management to keep it clean at all times,” he said.
Maré said hospital management also needed to deal with the car wash operating in the waiting area next to the main gate of the hospital, as this also contributed to littering at the area. “We have put dustbins down and hope people will make use of them. We are also trying to find a sponsor to fix those parts of the hospital fence that is broken.”
ALSO READ: Lowveld Ramblers have surprise guests on hike up to Devil’s Bridge
He once again appealed to the public to donate to We Care 4 Nelspruit, as the organisation does not receive funding from the local or provincial government. All the members of the entity give freely of their own time. The hospital management was unavailable for a comment.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@lowvelder.co.za.
For free breaking and community news, visit Lowvelder’s website: Lowvelder
For more news and interesting articles, like Lowvelder on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
