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Cheap Trick at Tembisa Hospital

Dear Editor

The DA in Gauteng condemns the cheap trick by Tembisa Hospital management, who hoodwinked visiting parliamentarians last week by magically making psychiatric patients, who are normally chained up in a crowded casualty department, disappear.

I have received a video of the psychiatric patients who have been returned to the casualty ward on Friday after the NCOP delegation visited on Thursday.

Prior to the visit by NCOP parliamentarians, who were escorted by Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, the following message was sent to staff by hospital management:

“Good evening, kindly take note of the above visit, scheduled for Thursday, ensure that your unit is neat & tidy, no notices are allowed on the wall only on notice boards, redundant furniture should be removed, rounds will be done on the day, ensure that your team is in uniform and name tags.”

According to the DA’s Nicola du Plessis who was with the NCOP delegation, everything was spruced up, but hospital management tried to deflect hard questions about the true state of the hospital.

They blamed a non-performing contractor for the broken chillers in the operating theatres and said they would only be fixed at the end of March. This endangers patients as the infection risk shoots up when surgery is done in warm conditions.

Unions complain bitterly about staff shortages, lack of equipment and poor infrastructure.

Last week in ward 7, a piece of ceiling fell on a cleaner and injured her. This crumbling ceiling was reported a year ago, but nothing was done to fix it.

According to an official reply to my questions last year, the hospital needs 4926 staff to cope with all its patients, but only has a staff establishment of 2375, with 149 vacancies.

There is inexplicably still an acting CEO even though the previous CEO, Dr Ashley Mthunzi, died ten months ago while suspended on disciplinary charges concerning the tender corruption exposed by murdered whistleblower Babita Deokaran.

It is no wonder the hospital refused an unannounced visit last year by DA Gauteng Leader Solly Msimanga.

The DA opposes the cover-up of poor conditions at this hospital which urgently needs a highly competent permanent CEO to ensure patients receive the best quality care.

Regards

Jack Bloom MPL
DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

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