Patients sleep on floor of Helen Joseph Hospital’s casualty ward while other beds lie empty

The casualty department at Johannesburg’s Helen Joseph Hospital has been overcrowded for two weeks, with patients resorting to sleeping on chairs or on the floor.

“This week there have been up to 45 patients sleeping in chairs or on the floor in the casualty ward as they are not able to be admitted to wards full of sick or injured patients,” said DA Gauteng shadow health MEC Jack Bloom on Friday.

Patients ‘suffering’ at Helen Joseph Hospital

Bloom said the patients have been stranded in the casualty ward because they cannot be admitted to other wards that are already full.

However, the hospital has a fully equipped 24-bed ward that is empty. A shortage of staff means patients cannot be moved to this ward.

“It’s another example of the Gauteng Health Department’s poor management which leads to patients suffering in this neglected hospital which doesn’t even have a permanent CEO,” Bloom said.

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He added that Helen Joseph Hospital receives a high volume of patients this time of year because of winter illnesses and accidents. But, ambulances should divert patients to surrounding hospitals to alleviate this overcrowding.

“The Democratic Alliance will continue to push for critical health posts to be filled, which requires better management and a genuine crackdown on rampant corruption,” he said.

Health department says it has a plan

The Gauteng Department of Health said the overcrowding at Helen Joseph Hospital’s emergency department is due to population growth in the area. It also said patients prefer to go to the hospital rather than other health facilities.

“This has put pressure on human and financial resources as well as infrastructure capacity to handle the increase in patient numbers,” it said in a statement.

It said more beds and staff are being sourced from nearby facilities to reduce the overcrowding at the hospital.

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