Over 40 Helen Joseph Hospital Patients Forced To Sleep on Chairs and Cold Floor Due to Overcrowding
- An overcrowding crisis at Johannesburg's Helen Joseph Hospital's casualty ward has come into sharp focus
- The congestion resulted in 45 sick patients sleeping on chairs and the floor at the public health facility in Auckland Park this week
- Speaking to Briefly News, Gauteng health spokesperson Motalatale Modiba elaborated and conceded to the crippling challenge
Source: Original
JOHANNESBURG — Helen Joseph Hospital has come under fire for its grossly overcrowded casualty ward, as sick patients are forced to sleep on chairs and the cold floor.
Nearly 50 patients have had to endure the inhumane goings-on at the 636-bed facility in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, this week.
45 Patients sleep on chairs, cold floor
This was revealed by Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) and Gauteng Shadow Health Member of the Executive Council (MEC) Jack Bloom.
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Bloom said the casualty had been constrained for the past two weeks:
"[And this] is while a fully-equipped 24-bed ward sits empty due to [an apparent] staff shortage. This week, at least 45 patients have had to sleep on chairs or the floor as they cannot be admitted to wards full of sick or injured patients."
Despite the congestion, he said more patients were still being brought in for treatment, worsening the situation.
"Ambulances should be diverted to other facilities in cases of gross overcrowding. However, that rarely happens for Helen Joseph Hospital, which takes the brunt of sick and accident victims during winter."
The staff shortage issue in one section has been particularly contentious, leading to patients suffering.
Population growth to blame
Bloem, who told Briefly News the issue came to his attention after receiving numerous complaints from the displeased patients, highlighted the problem as stemming from the Gauteng Health Department's poor management at the neglected hospital without a permanent CEO.
"The hospital is short of staff for an empty 24-bed ward that would take the pressure off casualty. The DA will continue to push for the department to fill critical posts, which requires better management and a crackdown on rampant corruption."
Gauteng health spokesperson Motalatale Modiba blamed the overcrowding on the influx of patients due to population growth in the area and its surroundings.
He said another reason was patients preferring to go to the hospital instead of accessing primary healthcare facilities.
"This has put pressure on human, financial and infrastructure capacity resources to handle the increase in patient numbers. The department has reinforced intervention measures to alleviate overcrowding [by deploying] additional beds and human resources from nearby facilities."
He said the hospital would appoint additional staff to bolster capacity, though he did not give a timeline.
Free State government responds to nurses’ scolding
In related news, Briefly News reported earlier this month that the Free State Office of the Premier responded to a viral video in which the provincial government head, Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae, called staff at a health facility to order during an unannounced visit.
Patient mistreatment, unreasonably long waiting times, staff and resource shortages, and inadequate budgets have long constrained South Africa's public healthcare system.
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Source: Briefly News
