Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Anger over deaths at care centre
Health worker lodges complaint of suspected abuse
A HEALTHCARE worker says she is at her wit’s end as nothing has been done after seven elderly residents died at GH Starck Centre within two weeks due to Covid-19.
Yolanda Mutiba is on the local health committee in Hanover Park, where the GH Starck Centre is home to more than 60 pensioners.
The seven residents – Francis Roberts, Doreen Messiah, Daphne Dixon, Olga Smith, Connie Hoffman, Aubrey Mitchell and Doreen Heinrich – died between August 10 and 24.
Their deaths prompted Mutiba to lay an official complaint of suspected abuse against the elderly with the Western Cape Department of Social Development this week.
She worked at the facility after management requested extra staff and said she witnessed first hand, the lack of health and safety protocols.
Mutiba said: “I have a home-based organisation and the manager of the (GH Starck) centre contacted me and asked if I have carers to work for him because he was short-staffed.”
Initially, Mutiba worked the night shift and said she was shocked to learn that the reason she was called in to assist was that some staff had taken off to self-isolate when they contracted Covid-19.
The weekend after she worked there, Mutiba said she found three residents had died due to contracting Covid-19; the next week, four more died.
She said the manager of GH Starck was not honest with her when he asked for help: “He didn’t even tell me that he’s sending me and my team into a red zone. The Wednesday after the weekend that I worked it came out and people were talking about it because three people had died after getting Covid-19.”
She then alerted the authorities. In her statement, Mutiba said: “Eight residents have tested positive for coronavirus and allegedly six staff. No isolation and quarantine facilities have been made available for affected people.”
A healthcare worker employed by GH Starck has also raised concerns about its health and safety practices. The woman, who wants to remain anonymous, said she was concerned for her colleagues and the residents.
“We raised our concerns and nothing was done … we were concerned about the lack of protective gear because we come from outside, which means any of us can carry the virus,” she said.
“We didn’t get the right protective gear, only plastic aprons, and it was not sufficient. They bought us material masks and after a lot of complaints got us the surgical masks.”
A woman whose aunt is a resident at the facility has also spoken out. She said her aunt had now contracted Covid19 but she was not informed of this or updated on her health. “I left my contact details but no one told me she is sick. I had to hear from someone through the grapevine and then I contacted them to find out what’s going on.”
Errol Benting, the brother-in-law of Olga Smith, said Smith was admitted to Groote Schuur, which did a Covid-19 test and discovered she was positive.
Smith had comorbidities which Benting said included kidney problems. “I was at the old-age home this week and they were fumigating and I told the manager it was too little, too late,” he said.
GH Starck director Ruben Kadalie referred Weekend Argus to the Department of Social Development.
Department spokesperson Joshua Chigome said they had been monitoring the situation at GH Starck.
“The department is aware of the situation and is in regular contact with the manager. An organisation appointed by the department has assessed the situation and is providing support with the implementation of the Covid-19 management guidelines,” he said.
Old-age homes have been of concern since the outbreak of Covid-19 in March, with the elderly being at high risk of infection.
This week Leon Courie, home manager of Kensington Old-Aged Home, where seven people died, said: “We have had no more infections since August 9 and are a Covid-19-free facility.”
In May, 32 staff and 12 residents at the Highlands House tested positive for Covid-19. Although management could not be reached for comment, a resident said they had been sticking to the health and safety protocols and had not had many infections.
The management at Nazareth House in Vredehoek also grappled with a Covid19 outbreak in May, when four elderly residents tested positive and two died.
Chief executive of Nazareth House Southern Africa Wayne Devy said: “All facilities of Nazareth House within
Southern Africa are currently clear of the Covid-19 virus. Various challenges and unfortunate losses of some of our dear residents occurred, but due to the stringent protocols implemented, and currently still in place, we managed to avert any serious outbreaks in our facilities.”