DA to refer Knobel Hospital to Health Ombud

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo conducted an oversight inspection at WF Knobel Hospital in Lonsdale on Monday and allegedly discovered the paediatric ward to be lacking hot water and air-conditioners.
The visit was the result of a letter written by doctors at the facility and circulated on social media, asking the public for donations to repair the windows as well as purchase heaters and blankets,
DA Limpopo Spokesperson on Health, Langa Bodlani said the party had noted that there were no contingency urns that could provide hot water. “This was compounded by the lack of blankets and clothing for patients and the fact that most doors in the wards were broken, exposing patients to cold weather conditions,” he stated.
“Not all wards have ultra-violet lights to contain the spread of airborne diseases such as TB. Patients of different conditions such as TB, mental health care users and surgical patients are kept in the same ward. This exposes patients to a number of different threats. The maternity ward has only two incubators, one cardio-topography and no phototherapy machines to assist in treating babies with jaundice,” Bodlani stressed.
Reportedly there was no service plan for the maintenance of the medical equipment. All chlorine-gas stations which transmit gas to various points are dilapidated was perceived as capable of exploding at any time, he explained. Bodlani said the party would write to the Office of Health Standards Compliance and urge it to undertake its own visit to the hospital which, in the DA’s assessment, was in a dire need of a total revamp.

Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za