War of wards: Health workers say Limpopo hospitals in crisis. Not so, says MEC

A war of words, and conflicting accounts, is playing out at Limpopo’s third-biggest hospital, as Covid-19 infections and deaths continue to rise.

After an article published in TimesLIVE last week, in which a doctor at Mankweng hospital in Polokwane, Limpopo, laid bare the dire situation at the hospital with regards to the availability of ICU beds, health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba came out with guns blazing, disputing the allegations.

According to the doctor, a lot of patients were not surviving due to the lack of ICU beds, with most of them dying just under 12 hours after being admitted. The doctor told TimesLIVE he believed that if they had been admitted to ICU, most of those patients would have made it.

However, Ramathuba, who marched to the hospital on the same day the article was published, disputed this. She said she met with doctors and nurses, who gave her a report. They said most patients were dying as they presented themselves to the hospital too late.

“I met with doctors and nurses at the hospital. They also challenge that your source is not reading the latest guidelines on Covid treatment. Not every patient must be intubated or ventilated. Research has shown many patients are dying because doctors rush to intubate. We must start by using high flow oxygen equipment,” She said.

Ramathuba said Mankweng hospital had enough beds and ventilators for all patients requiring ventilation.

“If the situation worsens they showed me an extra area to be converted to ICU. They currently have one patient on the ventilator,” she said.

Those who are lucky to get a bed in the ICU is because the previous occupant of the bed died.

—  A nurse at Mankweng hospital

Four independent sources, however, disputed that Ramathuba met with staff — saying she only met with management.

“Had she met with the workers, she would have had a clearer picture of what is happening here. Management will always try to present a glorious picture,” one nurse said.

A nurse at the hospital’s ICU, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, said there was a chronic shortage of the ICU beds.

“Those who are lucky to get a bed in the ICU, is because the previous occupant of the bed died,” the nurse said.

Sunday Times Daily also spoke to three other nurses and one other doctor, who all agreed that there was a shortage of ICU beds at the hospital.

The Public Servants Association (PSA) provincial manager in Limpopo, John Teffo, also disputed what the MEC was saying. Teffo said PSA members told them there was a serious shortage of ICU beds.

On the availability of PPE, Teffo said the problem with availability of adequate equipment was widespread throughout the province, and was not unique to Makweng hospital.

He said their pleas with the health department to ensure the provision of adequate PPE to health facilities fell on deaf ears. Again, Ramathuba disputed this and said all staff had PPE and were not allowed to touch patients if they weren’t wearing it.

“Instead of addressing the real issue, the department dismissed the PSA concern and politicised the matter, thus exposing health workers to the risk of infection. It must be noted that it is not only Mankweng hospital that is experiencing a shortage of PPE, but the majority of the hospitals around Limpopo. It will never be enough to give the doctors only five masks for the month, as it is tantamount to sending a soldier to war without weapons,” Teffo said.

Ramathuba said a N95 mask can be used repeatedly for several days and need be changed only when it is compromised.

She said during her visit to the hospital, the matrons for the casualty and Covid-19 wards told her that doctors and nurses working in those wards are given N95 masks to wear once a day, even though one can wear it five times, and she was happy with this arrangement.

The PSA in Limpopo also accused the department of paralysing the provincial Covid-19 structure that was responsible for, among other things, monitoring the compliance of the department with Covid-19 regulations.

“Labour was asking relevant questions including the shortage of staff, disinfection of the hospitals and the preparation of the province to deal with the pandemic. Health workers are also testing positive for Covid-19 in most of the facilities, worsening the situation of inadequate human resources, as the department failed to fill most of the vacancies to commensurate with the rising need for service,” Teffo said.

“Sadly, the role of Cuban doctors that cost the country millions of rand remains uncertain. Health workers are out of options and cannot do much as the department failed to prepare thoroughly in terms of resource provision.”

He said the lack of ICU beds in the province points at the failure by the department to plan properly to mitigate the risks associated with the pandemic. He said the provincial department must come out and admit they are failing, and need assistance so that the national department can assist before the situation becomes worse.

“Having said that, the PSA commends the health workers who are giving everything to help those in need, despite working in an unconducive situation,” Teffo said.