POLOKWANE – Healthcare in the city seems to be in a downward spiral as can be seen by media coverage over past six months relating to poor service as well as equipment and service shortages.
Last Friday patients at the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital were allegedly left to their own devices due to a strike by employees on the premises over performance bonuses and progression pay.
Some of the issues that the department faced in the city over the past six months included:
• In January patients reported that Rethabile Clinic did not have glucose strips available.
Patients with diabetes were referred to the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital, but before they could receive these strips from the hospital, they reportedly needed prescriptions.
• Also in January, health and social development officials embarked on a protest march where they handed a memorandum of grievances to the then MEC for health, Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba. The employees were not happy with their working conditions.
The MEC was given a deadline and when she did not respond on time, the employees took to the streets in protest again.
• In February clinics in the city did not have needles available and all patients who needed injections had to go somewhere else for assistance.
• A 16-year-old girl from Westenburg was allegedly left in a pool of blood to cope after giving birth at the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital.
Three days after the girl was discharged, she became ill and was rushed back to hospital, where doctors found that the afterbirth was not completely removed.
• In April department officials picketed during their lunch time. The employees were angry and frustrated because their performance bonuses for the 2012/13 financial year were not paid.
• At the end of April and beginning of May the electro-encephalogram (EEG) machine at the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital was not in working order. Patients were referred to a local neurologist’s private practice for tests and costs were covered by the department.
• Cancer patients who had to receive radiation therapy at the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital in May were also sent home because the radiation machine was out of order.
• Also in May, emergency medical services (EMS) employees said the ambulances operated without oxygen for four days, because the person who needed to authorise the oxygen supply was on leave.
The employees claimed that there were only two ambulances available in the city.
• Still in May, the department confirmed that the father of a foetus that was allegedly dumped in Westenburg called for an ambulance but was told that there were no ambulances available.
The man made headlines when he had to defend himself after residents accused him of dumping the foetus.
His wife had a miscarriage and he left the foetus there to take his wife to hospital. On his return, he found the police and residents where the foetus was.
• In May Review reported on the growing heap of rubbish on the hospital grounds and patients’ complaints that the dirt was a risk to their health.
• Earlier this month Review reported about patients at the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital complaining about dirty linen and hospital rooms, no hot water and inedible food.
Review contacted Max Lesufi, health spokesperson, to find out how the department planned to turn around the situation, but by the time of going to print, he was unable to offer any comment.
