MEC Ramokgopa’s statement on the high demand for services and other issues of concern at The Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital
I would like to take this opportunity to give feedback on concerning issues that were raised during one of my unannounced visits to Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital (BMDH) as well as to various complaints from members of the public and doctors at the hospital. These concerns are:
- long waiting times by patients and families accompanying them.
- heavy patient load in casualty, with compromised patient privacy and difficult working environment for doctors.
- poor communication to the public on services rendered, with patients who come to the hospital being referred to clinics without being first treated.
- poor clinical support from management .
- corruption related to 'selling of jobs
We know that BMDH was opened as a 300 beds hospital in 2014 to provide District Health Services at the Primary level and to reduce patient load from Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH).
We all are also aware that when the new Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) of CHBAH was built, all its services were relocated to BMDH on 1 June 2015. The relocation was accompanied by 21 Doctors, nurses and other categories of health professionals. Currently BMDH has a total number of 54 Doctors with 14 Doctors working in the Accident and Emergency Department (A&E).
At the time when the relocation happened, this unit was already seeing 2000 patients per month, the number of patients seen in A&E department alone in this hospital increased to up to 5000 per month.
CHBAH’s A&E Department is now completed and their services and staff had relocated back since 1 December 2016. The number of patients seen at BMDH A&E did however not decline with the move (A&E) and is currently fluctuating between 4000 and 5000 per month. This sustained huge demand is an enormous pressure on the remaining 14 doctors allocated to the A&E department.
I have decided to establish a high level Intervention Team to respond over the next three months to the pressures and concerns outlined. The intervention team is established following a feedback I received from the Provincial Patient Safety Committee which I dispatched to the hospital following my visit.
The intervention plan is meant to primarily strengthen the clinical governance and referral systems within which the new Clinical Manager should work. This ten point intervention plan include:
- All priority 1 (P1) and (P2) patients will be attended to at CHBAH. BMDH will only see priority 3 (P3) patients, ensure improved clinical governance and function optimally as a District Hospital
- CHBAH will no longer refer mental health patients to BMDH, and should there be any to refer, it should be to Specialised Psychiatric Hospitals. BMDH will attend to those patients directly presenting to them and refer appropriately
- 6 more doctors will be recruited in from next month to be allocated to BMDH A&E. this will bring to total number of doctors in the department to twenty to cover different shifts
- The BMDH A&E area will be expanded to meet the demand as part of the hospital Infrastructure improvement
- the electronic patient management system in BMDH will be instituted to enhance efficiency and reduce patient waiting times
- services offered at the referring clinics and Community Health Centers will be strengthened to ensuring there are doctors, nurses, X-Rays and other equipment to treat minor ailments and minor trauma
- 24 hours services at Community Health Centers will be increased. Currently Lilian Ngoyi and Chiawelo provide such and from the 1st October 2017 Itereleng CHC will be included with Mofolo CHC to follow within 3 months
- the patient focus and efficiency in the referral system within the Health Services Cluster must be improved
- whilst South Rand District Hospital is also providing services to the population, there are plans to build a regional hospital in the medium term
efforts to reduce the disease and trauma burden within communities will be strengthened
On the issues of discipline including corruption related to the selling of jobs which had affected the hospital significantly, I must announce that:
- to date 11 employees have been dismissed, nine had resigned, and two had absconded from their position since disciplinary action was taken
- further investigations are underway in this regard to ensure that all wrong doers are brought to book
- a new clinical managers has been appointed after the predecessor resigned to avoid disciplinary action related to absence from duty and doing Remunerative Work Outside Public Service (RWOPS) without permission. In support of the many doctors, nurses and other health workers who are honest, diligent and dedicated, we’ll have zero tolerance to and must closely monitor this area of absenteeism
The intervention team members are as follows:
- Dr Richard Lebethe: Deputy Director-General for Clinical Services
- Dr P Selepe: Senior Clinical Director at CHBAH and a member of the provincial patient experience of care committee
- Mrs I Motloung: Deputy Nursing Services Manager at CHBAH
- Dr M Tsitsi: Head of Internal Medicine Department at CHBAH
- Mr G Nkomo: Director Human Resources at Head Office
- Ms P Mthethwa: from Chief Directorate Hospital Services
- Mr T Gwebindlala: responsible for Infrastructure Development.
This team will work with the District managers as well as the management of the 2 hospitals to ensure that we stabilise services, work in a co-ordinated manner and in the best interest of patients.
This BMDH hospital is an important asset which provide essential services to the people of Soweto and we will spare no effort to ensure that services improve as we strengthen governance.
My office will coordinate with Hospital Boards and Clinic Committees to arrange a public meeting where we’ll appraise the community on these interventions and also solicit public inputs on the areas they think needs to be addressed further.
Lastly, the hospital utilizes at least 14 cellphone lines whilst the Telkom lines are not functional. The public can also use the following Department’s helpline number for assistance and any emergencies: 0800203886.
I thank you.
