Durban hospital probes deaths

More than 600 have died in the past six months

THE Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital board is investigating alarming mortality rates and allegations of moonlighting doctors at the facility.

In the past six months the Phoenix hospital has recorded 637 deaths. Hospital stakeholders have alleged instances of recordtampering whereby babies who died days after birth were recorded as stillborn.

A spokesman for the hospital board’s complaints committee, Mervin Reddy, confirmed the

The shortage of staff is adding to the work load and the hospital is then not able to provide the services as required

allegations. He said the statistics were released to board members only last week.

He described the number of deaths as shocking.

“If you look at it, that’s just over 100 deaths a month and we as the board were not privy to this information.”

Reddy confirmed that the board was also notified that certain doctors employed on a full-time basis by the government hospital had been supplementing their income at private hospitals.

He said the issues were “a major cause of concern” and the board would be working with the KwaZulu-Natal department of health.

He also said the hospital’s CEO, Prakash Dayaram, was on leave. Dayaram referred queries to the department of health.

Reddy said the department was expected to contact the board to appoint an acting CEO.

Meanwhile, MP George Mari has urged KwaZulu-Natal MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo to investigate the hospital’s mortality rate, as well as issues surrounding staff shortages. Mari said:

Board members were not united in their efforts to deal with problems facing the hospital;

There was a 25% overall staff shortage at the hospital, and a 35% shortage of doctors;

Emerging vacancies were being immediately frozen owing to budget cuts; and

Staff retention problems were allegedly the result of dismal inhospitable allowances, a stipend paid to medical staff that has resulted in doctors and experienced nurses moving to other medical institutions.

“The shortage of staff is adding to the workload and the hospital is then not able to provide the services as required . . . Lots of people have died within the past few months.”

Last month, department officials met with board members to discuss issues facing the hospital.

A follow-up meeting between board members was scheduled for Wednesday but was postponed and rescheduled for later this month.

KwaZulu-Natal health department spokesman Desmond Motha said Dhlomo would respond to Mari’s queries during the next health portfolio committee hearing. He could not say when this would be held.

In April, the hospital came under fire after the death of a newborn who was allegedly cut three times during her mother’s Caesarian section. The case is still under investigation.

Attorney Sundeep Singh, who represents the baby’s parents, said they were hoping to gain more information soon.

“We are waiting for the records because when we first asked for the medical records, we were told they couldn’t find them.” — additional reporting by Siphiliselwe Makhanya