FOLLOWING a story published in the SUN regarding complaints about the functioning of Wentworth Hospital, opposition parties are stepping in to address the bottlenecks that seem to be hindering the proper operation of this healthcare facility.
Also read: Chaos unfolds at Wentworth Hospital
The complaints raised stem from the residents’ dissatisfaction with the service they receive upon visiting the healthcare centre. In an article, residents said there is a lack of communication between the hospital and the public.
The DA spokesperson for Health, Dr Imran Keeka, MPL, conducted an oversight visit to the hospital recently. During his visit, he said that overflowing queues at the outpatient department were moving at a snail’s pace.
Keeka likened the Wentworth Hospital challenges to the greater problems facing healthcare facilities across the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
“A recent unannounced oversight of Wentworth Hospital and, more specifically, the outpatient department – both acute and chronic – along with the casualty and pharmacy areas – has identified several problems,” said Keeka.
He said that, at the time of visiting, waiting times were so bad that patients who arrived at 07:00 were sitting waiting until 16:00, only to be told to go home and come back the next day.
Also read: Wentworth Hospital’s spectacle backlog due to budget constraints
“On return, they would join an overflow queue, only to be seen to and finally leave the hospital in the afternoon. I met people who would take one and a half days to simply see a healthcare professional and to get their medicines.
“My interactions with queuing patients established that hospital staff are cordial to them, and in as much as they waited long hours, there was general satisfaction with care levels. There were, however, those who complained about rude security and some rude healthcare staff.”
However, Keeka said he was not convinced that enough was being done to decant long queues.
“Patients may choose to receive chronic medications at designated pick-up points throughout the city. It also seemed that many were not satisfied with care levels at the surrounding clinics. This needs immediate attention.
“I have also recently had the opportunity to interact virtually with a newly formed voluntary community committee which seeks to liaise between the community and the hospital. This hospital, like many others, still does not have a board, which means that accountability, guidance and public participation are hampered,” he added.
Meanwhile, residents from The Bluff, Merebank and Wentworth have vowed to embark on a peaceful march to the Wentworth Hospital on October 1. The aim of the march is to highlight the deep-seated challenges faced by the community in accessing healthcare services at the hospital.
In the interim, a committee, called the Wentworth Hospital Committee, was formed in a bid to accelerate communication between residents and the hospital.
The newly formed committee comprises residents from The Bluff, Wentworth and Merebank. However, despite the intermediate interventions made to dismantle the problems at the hospital, overcrowding continues to be a challenge.
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