‘Nationalising SA healthcare system is the answer to its problems’ – Numsa

Nationalising the healthcare system is the answer to the crisis in state hospitals, according to the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa).

The government was making a mistake by not nationalising the healthcare system Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said.

Nationalise healthcare system

“Many people argue we are a poor country that could not afford a national healthcare system. We would be able to nationalise it and improve the hospitals and clinics if we would nationalise the mines, the land and all of the minerals in the country,” she said.

The money the country would make from the state-owned mines, minerals and land would allow the country to afford decent healthcare for all South Africans, Hlubi-Majola said.

Tembisa Hospital

When Tembisa Hospital was established in 1972, it was for a particular population and hasn’t increased in space or wards, Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital (TPTH) spokesperson Noko Pela said.

“A total number of approved beds is 840, though at any given time the demand could reach 1 200 beds,” she said.

During the 2021-22 financial year, the hospital recorded 21 413 patients in the outpatient department, 1 762 in surgical outpatient departments, 2 289 in medical outpatient departments, 3 092 casualties, 704 gynaecology outpatients, 1 127 in paediatric outpatient departments and 758 ophthalmology patients, Pela said.

Shortage of beds in state hospitals

There was a shortage of beds in state hospitals, especially ICU beds, medical expert Dr Angelique Coetzee said.

“If you go to Charlotte Maxeke Hospital ICU one of the problems of the backlogs of the theatre is because they have only a few ICU beds,” Coetzee said.

She said people needing urgent operations had to wait because there wasn’t a bed open in the ICU.

“The lack of ICU beds is a huge problem,” she added.

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Discharging of sick patients

Tembisa Hospital was discharging sick patients because of a severe shortage of beds, putting their lives in danger, DA Gauteng constituency head for Tembisa Refiloe Nt’sekhe said.

“Sick patients, particularly the elderly, are being discharged while still ill and are treated badly at this hospital. They are either waiting in long queues at casualty or in cold corridors for a bed to sleep in, or they are discharged without receiving adequate medical care,” she said.

This concerning level of incompetence and negligence at Tembisa Hospital was happening because of the shortage of beds in the hospital, Nt’sekhe said.

“The situation is out of control,” she said.

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