Crippling delays and queues, compounded by sparse, apathetic employees, are frustrating outpatients at Rob Ferreira Hospital in Mbombela, who have complained that staff shortages at the tertiary facility lead to excruciatingly long waiting times at file collection and pharmacy counters, reports The Citizen.
Despite recent infrastructure repairs having finally been completed, with the Department of Health confirming that hot water systems and broken doors have been repaired, patients say they wait hours to be called after putting their files on the counters.
Some have claimed that staff don’t bother to prioritise the elderly or those who are critical.
Others have said they wait for more than four hours at the pharmacy before being called to collect their medication – or being told to return the next day, only to wait for another three hours before their prescriptions are filled.
Patients say sometimes there is only one person trying to serve more than 20 people at a time.
Five-hour delays
Devon Brummer (63) said he has monthly check-ups at the hospital and finishes on time in all other departments, but faces huge delays at file collection and the pharmacy.
“People cannot wait for hours at file collection before they can see a doctor, and then another three hours to collect medication. Some staff are actually eating while assisting us, while others go off to lunch and just leave us stranded.”
Nokuthula Mnisi (58) said she would get to the hospital by 5am to ensure she gets her file – which she sometimes only receives after 10am – before queuing for another three to four hours at the pharmacy.
“The doctors inside push the line, but file collection is the challenge, with often, only two or three people assisting the large number of people in the queues. That is not fair: we have people who are in pain, the elderly and children, who just want to get help and go home.”
The Mpumalanga Department of Health acknowledged the media enquiry, but had not provided a response by the time of publication.
The Citizen article – Rob Ferreira Hospital patients battle severe queue delays (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Rob Ferreira Hospital launches urgent repairs after HRC probe
Rob Ferreira Hospital ‘has no hot water, no linen’, oversight visit finds