Cancer Patients At Risk At Steve Biko Hospital Because Of Broken Aircon

More than a hundred cancer patients are at risk at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital because a brand new radiation machine has been out of action for most of this year because of a broken air-conditioning system.

The Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) has struggled to fix the air-conditioning which is needed as radiation machines get very hot.

There are two smaller radiation machines which are being used for cancer patients, but the backlog for radiation treatment has grown alarmingly. This is very serious as delays decrease the survival chances of cancer patients.

This week Siemens was called in to fix the air-conditioning in the radiotherapy bunker as GDID has proved incapable of doing the job.

GDID has also bungled the repair of water pipes at this hospital. Last week they released water in repaired pipes too quickly, which damaged the pipes again and led to flooding of three floors and ceiling leaks elsewhere.

Other hospitals have also suffered from GDID incompetence, including Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital where a roof collapsed, leaks abound and the air-conditioning is broken as well.

The solution is to take hospital maintenance and repair away from GDID and put it in the hands of hospital management.

The DA will push for this change otherwise there will be more maintenance problems and possible disasters in our hospitals.

 

 

Media Enquiries

Jack Bloom MPL
DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC
082 333 4222

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Deadline Not Met For Transfer Of Esidimeni Patients

The 45 day deadline by the Health Ombudsman looms today for moving more than 700 patients from unlawful NGOs to facilities where they will receive proper care and treatment.

In his report, Professor Malegapuru Makgoba recommended as follows:

“All patients from Life Esidimeni currently placed in unlawful NGOs must be urgently removed and placed in appropriate Health Establishments within the Province where competencies to take care of their specialized needs are constantly available, this must be done within 45 days to reduce risk and save life; simultaneously, a full assessment and costing must be undertaken.”

According to a statement last week by Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa, only 63 patients had been moved from two NGOs.

The main alternatives for the patients are the Selby Park Clinic and re-opened Life Esidimeni facilities.

It seems that 20 unlicensed NGOs are still looking after hundreds of patients.

Life Esidimeni has indicated that it would take a number of weeks for them to safely accommodate a large number of the patients.

Ramokgopa has said that R495 per day is being paid for each patient at the private facilities, which amounts to about R15 000 per patient per month.

This is considerably higher than the R320 per day that was paid previously to Life Esidimeni, which amounted to R9920 per month for each patient.

It highlights once again the folly of former Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu in cancelling the previous contract with Esidimeni after a study by the Health Advance Institute in May 2015 found that this was good value for money.

I appreciate the care that is now being taken to involve relatives in the transfer to new facilities, but I am concerned that so many patients remain in unlicensed NGOs.

At least two more patients at these NGOs have died since the release of the Ombud’s report on 1 February.

We need more transparency about the reasons for the delay and a timetable for the transfers to be concluded as soon as possible.

 

 

Media enquiries:

Jack Bloom MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

082 333 4222

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Clinic Staff And Patients Suffer In Sick Building

Jeppe Street Clinic

Staff and patients at the Jeppe street clinic in inner-city Johannesburg are suffering from moldy walls that smell and cause health problems.

I visited the clinic last week after receiving complaints that staff were getting chest infections because of the poor state of the old building in which the clinic is based.

The emergency room is worst affected, with ugly mold infesting the walls giving off a pungent smell (photographs available on request).

This is clearly unhealthy and unacceptable in a health facility.

Staff and Patients Affected by Sick Building

There are other problem areas of mold and leaking ceilings at this clinic.

Staff at this provincial clinic have protested several times about their poor working environment but have been ignored by the Gauteng Health Department.

It is unacceptable that the health of staff and patients is affected by this sick building.

It is yet another example of inadequate maintenance in our health facilities.

The Department needs to act speedily to fix the clinic building otherwise the situation will deteriorate even more.

 

 

 

Media enquiries:

Jack Bloom MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

082 333 4222

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DA Welcomes Resignation Of Gauteng Health MEC

Health Ombudsman’s Report

I welcome the resignation of Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu in the wake of the highly critical findings of the Health Ombudsman concerning the deaths of at least 94 mental health patients.

Premier David Makhura bears part of the blame for this disaster as he should have acted earlier to fire her and taken action to protect the patients, many of whom are still suffering in unsuitable NGOs.

Dr Gwen RamokgopaDr Gwen Ramokgopa

It took 141 days for Mahlangu to resign following the first disclosure of deaths in reply to my question in the Gauteng Legislature on 13 September last year.

I am not impressed with the return of Dr Gwen Ramokgopa as MEC of the Gauteng Health Department. She was mediocre in this position previously and does not have the drive to fix this deeply dysfunctional department.

Premier Makhura has failed badly in this matter and needs to keep his promises to ensure that action is taken against all those implicated, including criminal charges.

 

 

Media enquiries:

Jack Bloom MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

082 333 4222

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Department Of Health Must Respect The Rights Of Patients

At the Gauteng Legislature’s petitions committee public hearings held in Sebokeng yesterday, officials from the Department of Health admitted that patient’s receiving treatment at local clinics in Lesedi have been treated badly by nursing staff.

This was revealed from questions emanating from the group petition submitted by my colleague, DA Gauteng Legislature Chief Whip, Mike Moriarty, which dealt with concerns about unsympathetic medical staff’s attitude towards patients – particularly the elderly and disabled.

The department has explained how it will be working towards upskilling and improving the quality of treatment patients will receive from nursing staff.

When patients arrive at clinics, they are often at their most vulnerable which is aggravated by the negative attitude of staff.

The turnabout strategy as suggested by the department must be implemented as soon as possible to ensure that patients enjoy not only quality, but dignified healthcare.

The DA will continue to monitor this situation and respond to the needs of residents.

 

 

Media enquiries:

Lebo More MPL

DA Spokesperson on Petitions

072 273 4487

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Gauteng Health MEC Should Resign Over Patient Deaths

Lifehealthcare Esidimeni

Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu should resign over the deaths of 36 psychiatric patients at the unsuitable NGOs in which they were placed after being discharged from Lifehealthcare Esidimeni.

She persisted in cancelling the long-running contract with Lifehealthcare earlier this year despite warnings that more time was needed to find suitable alternative facilities.

Her disclosure that patients were sent to NGOs without clinical files that included their medical histories shows how reckless these transfers were in putting patients at risk.

Last year she said that NGOs would accommodate 591 patients and 1193 patients would be placed at the Weskoppies, Sterkfontein, Tshwane District and Cullinan Care hospitals, as well as refurbished parts of the Transvaal Memorial Institution (TMI), Pinnar and Old Germiston Hospital.

The promised refurbishment of TMI, Pinnar and Old Germiston Hospital did not happen, and 1002 patients were placed with NGOs, which was far higher than the number originally announced.

36 Patients had Died

Despite protests and complaints by relatives about the poor facilities at many NGOs, Mahlangu claimed that they had been properly vetted and were monitored to ensure good care.

It was only after I asked an official question in the Gauteng Legislature that she revealed the bombshell news that 36 patients had died in the NGOs in a period of about four months.

We do not know at this stage how many patients died at which facility, but there is evidence that at least 7 patients died at Precious Angels in Attridgeville.

Mrs Christine Nxumalo was phoned by Ethel Ncube of Precious Angels on 25 August last year and told that her 50-year-old sister Virginia Machpelah had died on 17 August. She was not even aware that her sister was at this NGO as she was supposed to be at the Cullinan Care Hospital, but was then transferred to Precious Angels.

Nxumalo found her sister’s body at a private undertaker and was told there were six other bodies from Precious Angels. Her sister suffered from Alzheimer’s but was in good condition when she was at Lifehealthcare. Nxumalo has requested an inquest into her sister’s death and a postmortem has been carried out on the body, the results of which are awaited. Nxumalo has also requested the police to do postmortems on the other bodies from Precious Angels.

Postmortems on All Patients

According to Nxumalo, Precious Angels was only registered as a NGO on 9 June this year. With great difficulty she found the house in Atteridgeville where medics had picked up her sister’s body. She found a house with some hospital beds outside, but was refused access by a woman at the door.

According to an official reply to my questions earlier this year, 35 patients were sent to Precious Angels. MEC Mahlangu has now indicated that all the patients from Precious Angels have been transferred to psychiatric hospitals. Other NGOs where patients have been removed include Bokang where 24 were originally placed, and Siyabathanda where 13 were placed (these NGOs are both in Braamfischerville).

Mrs Nxumalo’s information about Precious Angels is highly disturbing. It does not appear that the Gauteng Health Department is doing a proper investigation of the deaths at this fishy NGO as Nxumalo is the one who has been pushing for postmortems on all the patients who died there.

National Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi

I welcome the announcement by National Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi that the Health Ombudsman will investigate the deaths at the NGOs. This investigation needs to be done speedily and professionally to ensure than no evidence is lost.

My view is that nearly all the 36 patients that have died in the last four months would probably still be alive if they were kept at Lifehealthcare Esidimeni.

The ultimate blame falls on MEC Mahlangu who failed to take sufficient steps to ensure the orderly transfer of patients to reputable NGOs. She should resign or be fired by Premier David Makhura.

 

Media enquiries:

Jack Bloom MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

082 333 4222

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36 Transferred Psychiatric Patients Have Died In Gauteng

Life Healthcare Esidimeni

A total of 36 psychiatric patients that were transferred from Life Healthcare Esidimeni earlier this year have died while in the care of the NGOs in which they were placed by the Gauteng Health Department.

This was disclosed today by Gauteng Health MEC in an oral reply to my questions in the Legislature.

The psychiatric patients were moved into 122 NGOs after the department cancelled its long-running contract with Life Healthcare which looked after about 2000 patients.

I am horrified that so many patients have died from undisclosed causes after being transferred to NGOs, many of which relatives have said are unsuitable.

Takalani and the Cullinan Centre

I am aware that eight patients died at the Previous Angels NGO and some others died at Takalani and the Cullinan Centre.

Mahlangu said that the patients were transferred without clinical files that detailed their medical history, and doctors were sent to the NGOs to examine the medical needs of the patients.

She said that investigation was continuing into the cause of the deaths.

I challenged the MEC to apologize for the poor manner in which the transfers to NGOs were done, and she said that the department had apologized where mistakes had been made.

There needs to be accountability for the deaths of so many patients. The department should ascertain the cause of death in all cases and take stern action where there is proven negligence.

 

Media enquiries:

Jack Bloom MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

082 333 4222

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Gauteng Short Of 574 Doctors And 1 209 Nurses

Gauteng State Hospitals Short

Gauteng state hospitals are short of 574 doctors and 1 209 nurses, but Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu says “there is no effect on patient care as the vacant posts are replaced immediately through walk-in applications and the annual block advertisement.”

This is according to a written reply by Mahlangu to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

According to Mahlangu “the majority of posts are vacant due to a process of natural attrition. Some positions are in the process of being filled.”

Scare Skills Required

She also says that “in health professional categories i.e. pharmacist, therapist and certain medical and nursing disciplines, scarce skills are required and they are not readily available for appointment in the Public Sector, thus the extended delay in filling these positions.”

The largest vacancies among doctors are the following:

  • Medical Officer Grade 1 – 151
  • Registrar (Medical) – 110
  • Medical Officer (Community Service) – 78
  • Medical Specialist Grade 1 – 60
  • Medical Officer (Intern) – 58

It is also worrying that there are 17 clinical unit and department head vacancies.

Large Vacancies

The largest vacancies among nurses are as follows:

  • Nursing Assistant Grade 1 – 184
  • Professional Nurse Grade 1 – 340
  • Professional Nurse Speciality Nursing – 141
  • Clinical Nurse Primary Health Care – 88

There are at present 5 125 doctors and 27 873 nurses in Gauteng state hospitals, but many in the highly skilled categories are close to retirement.

MEC Mahlangu should not be complacent as the shortages do affect the quality of patient care and training needs to be stepped up, particularly in specialist areas.

 

Media enquiries:

Jack Bloom MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

082 333 4222

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Joburg Hospital Short Of 364 Nurses

Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital

The Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital is short of 364 nurses, and has a total of 436 vacancies in all staff positions.

This information is revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

 

The hospital currently employs 4716 people in the following categories:

Support staff             1065

Admin staff                  520

Nursing staff              2201

Medical staff               625

Allied staff                   305

The major shortage is in nursing, but other shortages are as follows:

Support staff             12

Admin staff                21

Medical staff             12

Allied staff                 27

Loss of Skilled Staff

According to Mahlangu, the primary reason for the loss of skilled staff is due to “better remuneration in the private sector and the opportunity for self-employment.”

She says that “there has been no impact on patient care related to the loss of staff as vacant posts have been filled”.

I am concerned by the nursing shortage at the hospital which surely does affect the quality of patient care.

Many nurses are close to retirement age, so more training and recruitment is needed to fill the nursing posts at this major hospital.

 

Media enquiries:

Jack Bloom

DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC

082 333 4222

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676 Patients Wait For Ops At Steve Biko Hospital

Steve Biko Academic Hospital

676 patients are on the waiting lists for operations at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, some for as long as two years.

This is revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

The breakdown of the waiting lists is as follows:

Hip surgery – 268 patients

Knee surgery – 212 patients

Spinal surgery – 92 patients

General surgery – 80 patients

 

Waiting times are as follows:

Orthopaedics – 18 to 24 months

General surgery – 8 to 12 months

Cardiothoracic – 2 weeks

Highly Specialized Services

According to Mahlangu, the long waiting lists are “a direct result of the huge demand for patient services … from as far as Limpopo and North West Province to access the highly specialized services available in this hospital.”

Other reasons include:

– the current surge of serious trauma cases “pushes out” planned elective surgical operations

– a significant number of patient referrals that should have been operated at other tertiary hospitals in the SBAH cluster

– the demand for joint replacement surgery has increased with the increase in the aged population suffering from arthritis

Cancelled Operations

The other big issue is the high number of cancelled operations – last year, 680 operations were cancelled or deferred because of facility issues, emergency cases, patient-related or a shortage of ICU beds.

Special measures should be taken to cut the unacceptably long waiting time for knee and hip operations.

Other hospitals in the area should also be assisted to do more operations so as to ease the high surgery load at Steve Biko Hospital.

 

Media enquiries:

Jack Bloom MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

082 333 4222

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