Staff shortages and lack of food plague Ekurhuleni hospital

STAFF shortages and the scarcity of basic foods like fresh vegetables and starch continues to haunt the troubled Thelle Mogoerane Hospital in Vosloorus.

Yesterday, staff at the hospital, which was hit by a strike by security personnel last week, told Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa that they needed more nurses and food supplies.

During the strike at the R1.7 billion hospital, other staff, including doctors and nurses, downed tools due to fears for their safety.

This stopped critical services from being provided. Patients were diverted to nearby hospitals.

The hospital’s kitchen supervisor, Alice Mlangeni, told Ramokgopa: “There was sewage in the kitchen. There was sewage and fat.

“It was mixed. When they cleaned it, I was told that officials removed black objects that looked like coal. The sewage flowed for three days before it was fixed.”

She said the staff in the kitchen often ran out of food supplies.

“We need starch for the patients. We have meat. We also don’t have fresh vegetables at the moment; we have frozen vegetables.”

She said the hospital was beautiful, but they worked better at the old Natalspruit Hospital. Thelle Mogoerane was built in August 2014 following the closure of the old and dilapidated Natalspruit.

When The Star arrived at the hospital at 9.30am, mop-up operations were being carried out just hours before Ramokgopa arrived for a walk-about.

At the neonatal unit, senior professional nurse Cynthia Ntombela said there were staff shortages.

“(Please deal with) staffing and overcrowding. There are 28 professional nurses. At least (add) 10 to 15 nurses because our ICU needs more staff.”

Ramokgopa said she was happy the hospital was fully functional following the strike.

She said a new security company was hired and that investigations were under way.

Meanwhile, Health Ombudsman Malegapuru Makgoba has welcomed the dismissal of Dr Makgabo Johanna Manamela’s appeal against his findings on her role in the Life Esidimeni saga.

Makgoba’s office said the independent ad hoc tribunal had made the ruling.

“Dr Manamela had appealed against the findings and recommendations of the health ombud report into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of mentally ill patients: Gauteng province, which was released on February 1, 2017,” Makgoba said.

Manamela and Gauteng head of department Dr Tiego Selebano are currently on suspension with pay.

The high court in Pretoria ordered that their disciplinary hearings be halted pending the appeals.