Free State facing ‘hospital nightmare’‚ health rights organisations say

14 September 2016 - 21:56 By TMG Digital

The Treatment Action Campaign and SECTION27 have condemned what they have referred to as a “hospital nightmare” in the Free State‚ saying they are receiving reports of a crisis emerging hourly from across hospitals in the province. “We are receiving reports of entire hospitals being shut down‚ patients being turned away from full and overcrowded facilities‚ maternity wards filled with women on floors‚ shut down in overfull casualty and trauma units. The situation is untenable and must be addressed as an emergency‚” the health rights organisations said. They said staff at Manapo Hospital in Phuthaditjhaba‚ Qwa Qwa‚ were currently on strike and that all emergencies were being redirected to the already overcrowded Dihlabeng Hospital in Bethlehem‚ more than 50 kilometres away.Damning Free State health report releasedA damning report on the condition of some Free State health facilities and services was presented to provincial health staff on Tuesday by newly appointed MEC Benny Malakoane. “Dihlabeng Hospital is almost full and cannot accept many of the additional patients. The Maternity Wards are over capacity and women are lying across the floors. The casualty and trauma unit has been unable to respond to a roadside accident where a truck overturned today given a lack of capacity‚” they charged.Free State's hospitals of death exposedWhen Nyakallo Sekaledi was admitted to Botshabelo District Hospital in the Free State in September last year after complaining of headaches, a doctor allegedly told him he had tuberculosis. The Thebe and EL Ross hospitals in the Manapo district were also both overfull‚ according to the organisations.“Reports from Thebe Hospital show that it cannot accept any caesarians due to there being no theatre lights and not enough doctors on call to operate. A lack of beds means patients are lying on floor beds.” The Reitz Hospital had “to all extents and purposes shut down since 2014”. Only the maternity and emergency wards were open.“The facilities in the rest of the hospital appear to be properly equipped and appropriately renovated. There is no reason for the hospital to remain closed‚” the organizations added. They stated that specialists at Bongani Hospital were reported to be threatening to resign.“Professional nurses are in discussions to decide about imminent strike action. Further despite promises‚ the hospital clinic has been shut down without discussions with nearby clinics to ensure they could accommodate the additional patients‚” they added. The organisations demanded urgent intervention by President Jacob Zuma and Premier Ace Magashule.“If urgent action is not taken to turnaround this crisis‚ we will be forced to yet again embark on a campaign of civil disobedience in order to save the lives of those reliant on the failing public healthcare system in the province‚” they warned...

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