Video of drenched patient files at hospital shocks Hospersa

TRADE union Hospersa said yesterday they were shocked by reports that patients’ medical files at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital were stored in a room drenched with water because of a burst pipe.

Reports of the flooding came close to a year after the hospital’s roof caved in‚ trapping five people under the rubble.

The union called upon the Department of Labour chief inspector to act firmly against institutions found to be violating occupational health and safety (OHS) policies.

Yesterday morning‚ the news broke that patients’ medical files at one of Johannesburg’s busiest hospitals were being stored in a room with leaking pipes.

The union said a video of what looked like a medical records room was shared on social media by a news agency and caused a stir as piles of files were seen water.

In March 2017, the roof caved in at the main entrance area‚ allegedly due to construction work undertaken to repair water leaks.

“We are concerned about the poor state in which patients’ files are being kept‚” Hospersa manager Fazeela Fayers said.

“We also wonder if there is a backup system in place to ensure patients’ lying in a pool of personal information is not lost as a result of this burst pipe.

“We are equally concerned about our members’ safety‚ seeing that incidents like this seem to be a frequent occurrence due to the faulty pipe system in place.

“The problem of OHS violations in the health sector is extreme – it is a national problem‚ and there are daily compromises to the safety of the workforce‚ patients and the public.

“Dilapidated buildings with burst water pipes and collapsed ceilings have become the face of public health facilities.

“The working conditions of our members is deplorable and must be addressed urgently.

“We demand that the department acts firm against institutions found to be contravening OHS policies and putting their employees’ lives in danger,” Fayers said. –