Renovations at doctors’ residence completed
TEMBISA - Tembisa Hospital communications officer Lesibana Ledwaba invited media to view the newly-renovated doctors' rooms at Tembisa Hospital on 3 April.
The invitation comes five months after reports that nine intern doctors had to sleep in the casualty section of the hospital and some in their cars after they were locked out of their residence at the hospital on 7 October. Thirteen interns claimed that they were forcibly removed from flats the hospital rented at Midrand Village after the lease expired in September 2013, and had to find alternative accommodation. Nine of them claimed that they had to sleep in the casualty ward at Tembisa Hospital.
Ledwaba said the interns had refused to move into the hospital residence before renovations, and told media that they had to sleep in the casualty ward. “The idea was that they would live in the premises while [we were] renovating the place. The renovations were also done after the doctors’ residence was found not to meet Health Professionals Council of South Africa standards of intern doctors.”
Ledwaba said the newly-renovated residence can house up to 18 doctors. “The residences are equipped with washing machines and a kitchen with state of the art cupboards and stoves. The security of the residence has been upgraded and surveillance cameras have been installed.
“On 27 March Health Professionals Council of South Africa inspected the residence and found them impressive. The Junior Doctors Association of South Africa and South African Medical Association were invited to do an inspection but they did not attend.”
One of the interns who was affected by the incident Doctor Slindile Ngcobo told Midrand Reporter that the situation in 2013 had been dire. “We work till late at night, security was not tight. We also did not like the fact that we had to share rooms and bathrooms.”
Asked if she was happy with the renovated residence Ngcobo said, “It will do for now. Many of the intern doctors did not return to the residence after renovations, they found alternative accommodation.”
Junior Doctors Association of South Africa spokesperson Dr Khoza said they had not received the invitation to inspect the premises. “We were not aware it was on 3 April because the inspection date was previously postponed by the hospital a lot of times.”
