Johannesburg – Public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s report exposing the plight of patients as a result of tender irregularities at Themba Hospital in KaBokweni outside White River, Mpumalanga has received a warm welcome from an unlikely quarter.
The DA, which has been on Mkhwebane’s case, labelling her an “RET [Radical Economic Transformation] protector” and a “Zuma appointee”, has been spearheading calls in parliament for her removal from office.
This week, it welcomed the public protector’s report and expects remedies to follow.
“The public protector is encouraged by the positive feedback. We call on all concerned to take the report in the same spirit as the DA.
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Once fully implemented, the effect of the remedial action will be such that ordinary people in the province will receive quality services from the hospital, thereby giving effect to their constitutional right to healthcare services,” said Mkhwebane’s spokesperson Oupa Segalwe.
Alongside her deputy, Kholeka Gcaleka, the public protector discovered that the hospital’s maternity ward only had two delivery beds, where more than 15 children are born every day.
The hospital also had shortages of nurses, medical equipment, personal protective equipment and had a malfunctioning cooling system in the X-ray building, which made it hard for staff members to do their work.
Mkhwebane added that the laundry services at the hospital lacked maintenance, which meant patients slept on soiled sheets.
“The current maternity ward is in a deplorable state and the patients’ rights are violated in more ways than one.
“There is not enough space as there are only two delivery beds, no privacy, no decent waiting area, and there is shortage of staff despite the fact that the hospital delivers 15 to 18 babies per day.
“The proper maintenance and repair of the laundry machines will assist in alleviating the shortage of clean linen to a certain extent.
Regrettably, the service provider appointed for the maintenance and repairs of the laundry machines, does not have the capacity to fix the machines. The lack of capacity by the service provider has come at a huge cost to the hospital,” stated Mkhwebane in her report.
She said a year later, the hospital was still in the same condition as during her initial visit, adding that the provincial health department had admitted to not reporting the maintenance issues in writing, thus perpetuating the situation.
DA spokesperson on health in Mpumalanga Jane Sithole said Mkhwebane’s report “vindicated” her party’s complaints against Themba Hospital.
Asked if the DA had now changed its views about Mkhwebane, Sithole said: “I’m just in a meeting at the moment, can I call you when I finish.”
She failed to respond to questions sent via e-mail.
Mpumalanga health department spokesperson Dumisani Malamule said the process was already underway to fix the challenges the public protector raised in her report.
“The hospital now has additional eight delivery beds,” said Malamule,” adding that beds were now “decontaminated after each delivery”.
About R5-million was set aside to ensure that everything the public protector raised was attended to, said Malamule.
A contractor will renovate the labour ward, admission room and waiting area for pregnant mothers, and a six-bed high care unit.
A structure with 24 beds for mothers who have delivered normally, including lodger mothers, will also be built.
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