Another woman has come forward with complaints regarding the treatment of nurses at Rahima Moosa Hospital to its patients.
Jamie Lee Sassen lost her baby after claiming that nurses mistreated her.
Gauteng Department of Health spokesperson Steve Mabona said the department is investigating the matter.
“The Gauteng Department of Health has appointed an industrial psychologist to assist nurses improve how they interact with patients.
“This is after the department received a high number of patient complaints about treatment by nurses,” said Mabona.
The psychologist’s first posting will be today at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, where nurses will be assisted on how to manage challenging patients, diversity, cultural differences, language, how to focus better professionally, identify system challenges, and team work between departments.
This will be augmented by improving employee wellness programmes, and counselling for nurses to help them debrief.
Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu further announced that more specialist nurses will be appointed, while nursing interns will work as ward clerks, in order to alleviate workload from professional nurses, so they can focus on clinical work.
The psychologist will thereafter, visit Tembisa Hospital, Mamelodi Hospital respectively.
“We trust this paradigm shift will be felt in how our nurses render services and it will be easy to pick up which areas and hospitals need intervention from the patient’s survey.
“Staff attitude is a work in progress, we plead for cooperation from the public,” said Mahlangu.
Mabona said these problems will be addressed.
“The Department of Health is still investigating the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child incident; we will communicate once that is done.
“We have noted the issue of how some nurses treat patients, and as the result we have made the above mentioned interventions,” said Mabona.
