TAC demands quality health care services

Anwar Kharwa, CEO of Khayelitsha District Hospital, talks to members of the Treatment Action Campaign.

While thousands of people across the country celebrated Mandela Day on Wednesday July 18, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) held a protest demanding better health care services at the Khayelitsha District Hospital.

The organisation claims that its monitoring of the facility over the past two months showed a bleak picture with overcrowding, staff shortages, poor staff attitude and neglect of patients being some of the main problems.

The organisation said it also noted a shortage of beds, which resulted in some patients having to sleep on the floor.

Protesters said they could not celebrate Mandela Day while scores of people suffered at the hospital and demanded an immediate improvement in services.

TAC provincial chairperson, Vuyani Macotha, said problems were worse at night and that patients were being forced to wait or sleep in the foyer until the next day.

“Patients sleep on the floor because there aren’t enough beds,” he said. “There are not enough beds for the population of Khayelitsha, let alone the overflow of patients from other districts.”

Mr Macotha alleged that night shift nurses ignored patients or treated them poorly.

He claimed there were instances where nurses would work on the computers instead of taking care of patients. “One community member informed TAC that their relative had been wearing the same adult diaper for 24 hours,” he said.

Mr Macotha said TAC in the province had met hospital management and the district manager about their demands.

He said these included the reduction of the waiting times, improved staff attitudes and accountability, increased bed capacity, an increase in the number of doctors and nurses, a proper complaints system and the establishment of a permanent clinic committee.Mr Macotha urged the hospital board to prioritise the needs of public healthcare users. “This Mandela Day we are picketing against the poor treatment of the patients at Khayelitsha District Hospital. We are doing so in memory of Mandela, who supported integrity, honour, patients’ rights and patients dignity.

“The occurrences at KDH are not what Mandela stood for, so we will stand up against them. TAC will continue to monitor the situation at Khayelitsha District Hospital until all patients receive quality healthcare services,” he concluded. Department of Health spokeperson, Sithembiso Magubane, said the department acknowledged that service was under pressure and that there was a huge demand for beds resulting in patients with non-life threatening conditions sometimes having to wait longer than usual at the hospital.

He said Khayelitsha District Hospital had 300 beds and currently operated at a 130% bed occupancy rate as it provided district and regional health care.

Mr Magubane said the hospital referred patients to other specialist hospitals when they required further specialist treatment. However, he said, there were a number of plans and interventions planned for the hospital to improve its services. “Some have been put into operation, others are in the process of implementation.

“MEC for Health Nomafrench Mbombo had a round table discussion with the TAC on June 13, to personally respond to their concerns. A formal response was submitted to the TAC in which the department communicated steps to address the concerns raised by them,” he said.