The MEC for Health Mr Phumulo Masualle undertook surprise visits to the Livingstone Hospital, Jose Pearson TB Hospital and the medical depot at the Nelson Mandela Metro on Thursday 15 October 2009.
The MEC began his visit at the Livingstone Hospital and he was met by the sorry sight of a patient in front of the casualty section seated on the pavement, drained of energy and unattended. The hospital management was quickly summoned and a stretcher was made available and the MEC and his staff helped the patient onto the stretcher into the hospital for attendance. The scenario was a precursor of what he was about to see inside the Livingstone Hospital.
A guided tour of the hospital showed patients in huge numbers waiting for files whilst one clerk was in attendance and others on tea. This unpleasant situation elicited an angry response from the MEC who demanded that the clerks on tea attend to the patients waiting for help.
The hospital was so full and on further enquiry the MEC was informed that the hospital was 100 percent full and patients were waiting for beds. Management attributed the overcrowding to patients not going to their nearest clinics but preferring to go straight to the Livingstone hospital which has specialist services. “The disease burden meant that patients spent more days in hospital which added to the overcrowding,” management added.
The MEC addressed the patients at the hospital and assured them that the situation would be sorted out. A closed meeting with management followed the end of the tour where management was asked what the problems were and the solutions they would implement.
The management identified shortage of staff and the referral system as the main contributory issues to the overcrowding. The MEC cited lack of supervision and monitoring as problems and demanded responsible leadership from the hospital management. On leaving the hospital he emphasised that the prevailing conditions presented the Eastern Cape department negatively and vowed to closely monitor the situation at the hospital.
“I will from time to time drop in at this hospital and other surrounding health institutions unannounced because our people deserve quality healthcare and excellent services,” the MEC said. The MEC proceeded to the Jose Pearson TB hospital. Media reports had reported that the Hospital management had released dangerous TB patients to the community.
The MEC sought clarity on the matter from management which was satisfactory provided by management. Management explained that they treat each case on its merit and a host of other factors are taken into consideration as well as investigations undertaken prior to releasing the patients. Post monitoring of the patients was also mentioned as a very important matter. The release of patients was a matter agreed upon between the patients and management.
Management explained that other provinces also do release patients, so in a nutshell the department has derived from best practise. The MEC took a guided tour of the hospital and briefly chatted with patients. A group of patients voiced their concerns to the MEC. The patients complained about stress they encounter due to their long stay, not getting social grants, nurses not explaining the nature of their sickness, the cross infection that is taking place, the general living conditions and the release criteria of patients by management.
The MEC also held a brief meeting with the staff who complained of assaults by the patients, being held hostage and spat at. The issue of Occupation Specific Dispensation (OSD) was also mentioned by the nursing staff. The MEC also visited the children’s ward at Jose Pearson. The children were excited to be visited by the MEC.
The MEC made an undertaking to the patients that the committee would look into the issue of the release of patients as well as other matters that they raised. Staff was also assured by the MEC that he would find time to listen to them however, he noted their concerns. The MEC rounded off his surprise visits at the medical depot. Problems pertaining to shortage of drugs were attributed to among others to suppliers prioritising private clients, raw material unavailability and contract management issue.
The MEC committed himself to paying more surprise visits to health institutions.
In an interview with South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the MEC said that the visits do help in that the situation gets rectified, citing the Isilimela and Holy Cross Hospitals as perfect examples of interventions gone right.
Issued by: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
23 October 2009
Source: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
(http://www.ecdoh.gov.za/)
