Our hospitals need to take more responsibility

The deaths of those 94 patients is unacceptable, writes

from Tembisa

Hlungwani

TMiyelani

he health ombudsman’s report into the deaths of psychiatric patients transferred from Life Healthcare Esidimeni has revealed that 94 patients died and not 36 as recorded by the Gauteng health department.

This is totally unacceptable because patients also deserve respect and dignity regardless of the condition of their body and mind.

No more time for procrastination because our siblings and friends continue to lose their lives due to lazy staff in hospitals. Government must make sure that it leaves no stone unturned. What happened in these hospitals also happens in other hospitals across the country.

Community members must be heard when complaining about poor service they receive in public hospital on a daily basis. CEOs of hospitals must make sure they render quality service to community members.

They must bear in mind that what makes a hospital deliver outstanding service is the engagement with community members through educational workshops conducted in various communities, and also the effective use of the suggestion boxes to allow community members to have their say and help staff members improve their performance.

The management of the hospital must regularly conduct outreach programmes to listen to grievances and challenges faced by community members.