East London’s Frere Hospital has a drastic shortage not just of 18 midwives and nurses but also of beds in its maternity section, which new provincial MEC Ntandokazi Capa has sworn to rectify after a visit this week amid complaints that pregnant women were sleeping on floors and benches.
Capa said the vacancies had not been filled for years. In a meeting with hospital’s management and officials from the Health Department’s provincial office, she said they were making plans to employ more staff, and “to get nurses to come and assist”.
She said the hospital’s maternity ward was overwhelmed by pregnant women from across East London, and that there needed to be a “working relationship between Frere and Cecilia Makiwane Hospitals, so that we deal with the overload”.
The hospitals are about 20km apart.
A young mother told News24 she was one of many others admitted for pregnancy-related issues in January 2023, who had to spend a night on the maternity ward benches.
“I was sent by my clinic to the hospital after they found my sugar levels were high. I stayed on the bench overnight and then we asked the hospital to (discharge us), so we could go home.
“They were reluctant, saying this was not allowed because we had not been seen by a doctor. But because there were many of us, we were released and ordered to return the next day. And then it still took two days to get a bed.”
She had returned to the hospital a few months later, and waited another two days for a bed.
Another mother claimed she slept on the floor in the ward for two days after experiencing labour pains in 2019.
“We stayed on benches, but at night we were told it was better to sleep on the floor. I only got a bed after the delivery of my baby, two days later.
“I did not bath until the birth. I thank God I am now working and have a medical aid. It was a horrible experience.”
Visit won't ‘change the situation’
Eastern Cape chairperson of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa Sivuyile Mange said Capa’s visit was not going to “imminently change the situation” at Frere Hospital.
“The situation … is a systemic issue, rather than (it) being (an) uncaring health facility.
“As we speak, we have professional nurses, who completed their community service, and other healthcare workers sitting at home, waiting for the department to employ them.
“These nurses have a diploma or bachelor’s degree … that would close the gap at primary healthcare level as they are trained midwives and accoucheurs.”
He added that they were looking forward to having discussions with Capa on issues facing the public healthcare system in the province.
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