The Eastern Cape Department of Health has been slammed by the Public Protector in a damning report for failing to provide adequate equipment and personnel at Dora Nginza Hospital – leaving the facility, its staff and patients in several life-and-death situations – and been given deadlines in which to present urgent solutions to numerous problems.
Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka highlighted the shortage of staff and medical equipment at the hospital, as well as inadequate security and insufficient space in the maternity ward, forcing pregnant women to sleep on the floor.
The root of these, and other problems, was “a serious structural problem in the Eastern Cape Health Department”, she said, stipulating a series of rectification deadlines.
In response, reports The Herald, Health MEC Ntandokazi Capa said she appreciated “constructive criticism” and was already addressing some of the problem areas.
Department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said that all health challenges were high on the MEC’s agenda and receiving attention.
“Dora Nginza Hospital has already received 10 additional doctors in May – two anaesthetists for theatre, six obstetricians for the maternity wards and two paediatricians for the neonatal and paediatric wards – and 20 nurses,” he said, and the situation, especially in the maternity ward, had improved.
Doctors performed 42 Caesarean sections on 20/21 May and the backlog had been cleared, while last week, interviews were conducted and five more obstetricians were expected to start work in the next few weeks.
Kupelo said steps had also been taken to improve security.
“A private company will patrol strategic points within the hospital, and there are additional CCTV camera systems in certain wards. We will also be boosting security in the nursery by installing burglar proofing.”
He said the MEC would be visiting Dora Nginza this week, and announcing that R64m had been budgeted to “build a cerebral palsy centre of excellence, to rehabilitate children with that condition”.
The Public Protector had also highlighted the outdated 2016 staff organogram used by the hospital, which she said was obsolete.
“To compound the situation, the recruitment of both clinical and non-clinical staff is centralised at the provincial office of the department, which delays the recruitment process.”
Kupelo said Dora Nginza Hospital was among regional and tertiary hospitals expected to benefit from R141m aimed at addressing staff shortages.
Other issues highlighted in the report was lack of space in the maternity ward, the absence of a district hospital in the Nelson Mandela Bay area, which placed additional strain on Dora Nginza; a shortage of medical equipment like blood pressure and haemoglobin machines, and, particularly concerning, “underspending by the … department when there is a shortage of medical equipment”.
“This suggests … a serious structural problem in the Eastern Cape Department of Health.”
The provincial Health HoD has 60 days to present a plan on how to rectify the security shortcomings, and 120 days to present an implementation plan on how Empilweni Hospital would be upgraded to a district hospital; and how the shortage of medical and non-clinical staff would be addressed.
During that period, recruitment and kitchen and laundry issues should also be sorted out.
“The Public Protector intends to issue impactful reports which are highly dependent on the implementation of the remedial action that she takes. Thus, the HoD is expected to submit an action plan to the Public Protector within 90 days.”
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Dora Nginza Hospital infested by rats
Overcrowded hospital transfers 29 pregnant women
– https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/overcrowded-hospital-transfers-29-pregnant-women/
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