A total of 29 pregnant women, who were sleeping on the floor at Dora Nginza Hospital in Nelson Mandela Bay and not being given any food, were evacuated to other hospitals last Friday after the maternity unit became overwhelmed by the number of patients.
The unit, which delivers more than 8 000 babies a year, has only 75 beds, reports Daily Maverick, and there have been desperate pleas from medical teams for more beds and more staff.
Eastern Cape Department of Health spokesperson Yonela Dekeda said the 29 patients were transferred to Uitenhage Provincial and Port Elizabeth Provincial Hospitals, and clinical teams at both would be supported by Dora Nginza specialists.
She said that after a similar situation last year, budgets were allocated for staff and equipment to activate another 30-bed maternity ward and theatre to ease the pressure, but demand for maternity services in the area continued to increase.
She did not respond to information from clinicians that the absence of other specialist teams, like neonatal services, makes it impossible for doctors to handle maternity emergencies at these sites.
Electricity crisis
Dora Nginza also had an electricity crisis on Friday after several failed attempts to have the hospital’s generator fixed: staff worked the weekend without a functioning generator.
The crisis at the hospital has been ongoing since 2020. In 2021, a report from the Public Protector found that neither Dora Nginza nor Uitenhage Provincial Hospital complied with the Constitution and other legislation.
The report on Dora Nginza highlighted that newborn babies had died in overcrowded and understaffed wards; that medical waste management was lacking; and that there were insufficient ambulances, severe staff shortages and unhygienic conditions.
Shortage of medicine
The department is also battling a shortage of medicine in the region, including ARVs, antibiotics, some chronic medications and vaccinations.
Several patients have reported that they can longer get three-month supplies from clinics and some of their medication is being supplemented.
In April, a large truck delivering medicine to the NU 8 Clinic in Motherwell was hijacked in the region.
The department later also admitted that it had become dangerous to work in parts of the medicine depot because the roof was collapsing, and that it was considered a potential risk to staff, according to Health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth’s spokesperson MK Ndamase.
The department added that it was hampered by a lack of finances due to numerous reasons, including lump sum payments in medico-legal settlements, and that some “big accounts” had not been paid.
However, some had granted credit extensions into the new financial year.
A total of R361m has been paid since the beginning of the financial year, equivalent to 73% of the total amount owed at 31 March, it added.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Maternity unit strike at Dora Nginza Hospital, Eastern Cape, ends
Doctors urge crisis management as Eastern Cape Hospitals collapse
Hospital infant deaths rocket but Bhisho’s not listening…