Shortage of beds and negligence allegedly led to a patient death at Tembisa Hospital

Tembisa Hospital continues to deprive sick and vulnerable people of access to adequate healthcare services due to overcrowding and a lack of beds to admit patients.

Last week, 8 November 2022, I received a frantic phone call from a resident concerning her grandmother, Sarah Dimakatso Ndou, aged 67 who was admitted at Tembisa Hospital.

It is alleged that Gogo Ndou was left to sleep in a wheelchair overnight at the casualty unit. Her family visited her the following day and were shocked to discover that she had not yet, been given any medical assistance.

Through my intervention with the Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Ralehoko, Gogo Ndou was finally allocated a bed. However, the family informed me that the hospital had discharged her even though she was visibly ill because of a shortage of beds at the hospital.

Several attempts were made to request her readmission but failed.

I further visited the hospital to assess why the hospital could not accommodate the patient and I witnessed a terrible situation as the hospital is overcrowded.

Several patients could not be accommodated into wards and were still in casualty; some had been in casualty for more than three days.

It is unfortunate that Gogo Ndou sadly passed away. Tembisa Hospital is in a dire state and needs more beds to be able to provide our people with adequate healthcare services.

This hospital in its bid to address its overcrowding challenge, cannot carelessly discharge patients who need to be hospitalised.

This is the same Tembisa Hospital that was exposed for paying over R200 million for face towels, buying leather seats, and paying over R2000 for skinny jeans whilst patients do not have sufficient beds.

I will also be writing to the MEC to demand an immediate investigation to be conducted regarding the circumstances under which Gogo Ndou was discharged and seek accountability to be taken by those who neglected and discharged her immaturely.

I have always insisted that Kempton Park hospital be reopened and will continue to do so. When it is reopened, it will reduce the pressure on Tembisa Hospital.

Tembisa residents cannot continue to be traumatized by the reoccurring rapid deaths of their loved ones.