Helen Joseph Hospital entrance in Johannesburg. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/ The Citizen
The Gauteng Department of Health has launched an investigation into allegations against Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg after a video shared by former broadcaster Tom London went viral.
In the video, London accused the hospital of treating its patients “like cockroaches”.
It remains unclear when the video was initially recorded.
London claimed he had been admitted to undergo computed tomograph (CT) scans to check for cancer.
“I haven’t seen one doctor walk up to a patient in our ward and say ‘Good morning, how are you?’. Nothing. They treat the patients with absolute disdain and disrespect. I have never seen a level of disrespect for human beings like this in my life,” he said.
“The doctors here are behaving like the patients are their little experiments. I have never ever experienced anything like this in life,” London continued.
The patient also claimed that his phone was stolen by an unknown woman while he was asleep.
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“I’m lucky to be talking to you on this phone because last night as I was sleeping, a woman came into the room, took the phone from right next to my head and stole in.
“Luckily, the guy opposite me saw it, woke me up said ‘Tom, someone just stole your phone’.
“I got another guy to call it and I heard it ring from down the passage and I tracked her down to a ward where she was trying to remove the SIM card,” the former broadcaster said.
“The doctors here, you give doctors a bad name, all of you. Despicable human beings.”
London then turned his phone camera to display “some of the cr*p that’s going on in this ward”.
“The taps, you think it works? Nah, that tap doesn’t work. Let’s check the ceilings out… well they peeling and flaking and stuff.”
The video also showed the patient’s bed in ward eight of the hospital, along with a rusted electrical plug nearby.
“I’m so angry at you. This is the Helen Joseph Circus Hospital, where doctors experiment on you.”
The broadcaster further alleged hat there was a deceased patient lying in the bed opposite his.
“He’s dead. He died 20 minutes ago, he’s lying there in that bed. His actually gone. He’s dead,” London claimed.
In a separate video shared on Saturday, London revealed that he was being admitted to Morningside Hospital.
The Gauteng Department of Health has since confirmed that it was investigating the matter “to establish facts and attend to the issues raised by the complainant”.
“While the matter is being investigated it important to note that the Department, nine months ago, launched a provincial campaign called I Serve With A Smile, which is aimed at improving staff attitude and patient experience of care,” the provincial department’s spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said in a statement on Sunday.
Modiba indicated that programme was currently being rolled out to facilities.
“Furthermore, the department has established an internal Infrastructure Unit which has now developed a maintenance and refurbishment programme.
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“Previously this function was carried out by a sister department. Through this programme several facilities have already underwent our maintenance and refurbishment.
“We have completed ICU wards at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital, and Jubilee District Hospital.
“Discoverers CHC and Kopanong Hospital have also undergone substantial refurbishments. Helen Joseph and other facilities will also be receiving attention,” the statement further reads.
The department encouraged patients to voice their concerns by reporting complaints to the quality assurance offices at their respective facilities if they are dissatisfied with the service.
Patients can also submit complaints directly to the department’s quality assurance office at the head office in Pretoria.
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