Following reports of severe negligence, the Steve Biko Academic Hospital’s management has taken preventative measures and suspended five nurses.
This is related to an incident that took place at the hospital on February 25, in the emergency unit, and which a member of the public caught on camera.
A patient is reported to have passed away in the hospital.
The department reports that, in order to give the investigation into the incident more time, the staff members have been placed on suspension.
Effort to improve quality of care
This unfortunate incident occurs just as the Steve Biko Hospital is purportedly stepping up efforts to improve the quality of care provided to patients.
One of these initiatives is the Gauteng department of health’s “I Serve with a Smile” campaign, which is a change management strategy designed to improve staff morale and provide high-quality services.”
The head of communication for the department, Motalatale Modiba, stated on Wednesday that the management of the Steve Biko Academic Hospital has been walking around the hospital frequently to check on the quality of care and to engage with patients.
“In a bid to promote harmony at the workplace, the facility management is also strengthening working relations with organised labour within the facility,” said Modiba.
“The facility management continues to engage the affected family to enable the redress process to unfold. Counselling services have also been offered to the family.”
Parts of hospital caught fire
In August 2022, a male patient died after sustaining serious injuries after he jumped out of the hospital’s window on the sixth floor. The patient landed on the third floor.
In May 2022, an early-morning blaze ripped through parts of the Steve Biko Academic Hospital.
The department said at the time: “The fire broke out at around 1.20am at the Wendy House, which is used as a temporary storage area for Covid-19 medical waste and an in-transit corpse area.
“It also affected a special temporary isolation unit and a tent used for triage [for persons under investigation].”
According to the department, 18 patients and a corpse were moved to other areas of the hospital as a safety precaution.
The fire was reported to have affected temporary structures and was successfully put out using fire extinguishers on site.
