Chaos at Dora Nginza ‘due to shortage of 441 nurses’

By Sam Mkokeli and Heidi Bantam

DORA Nginza hospital matron Florence Peter has had to mop the floors of the hospital mortuary due to staff shortages.

Health MEC Bevan Goqwana was told this at an urgent meeting at the hospital yesterday.

Former Eastern Cape premier Raymond Mhlaba and senior DA member Eddie Trent were among 50 community representatives at the meeting.

The hospital has been in the spotlight recently following complaints from patients about poor service.

Matron Peter told the meeting that problems in the hospital were caused by staff shortages, including a shortage of 441 nurses.

“We have stretched ourselves too far. Enough is enough.”

Matron Peter said: “On several occasions I had to go and mop the mortuary.”

She and another senior nurse had to fork out R10 each to pay a general assistant they personally asked to clean the hospital passages because of the shortage of cleaners.

The hospital’s 44 cleaners were not enough as they had to cater for the day and night shifts. At any one time some were on annual leave, others were on sick or maternity leave, she said.

Four nurses in the outpatients department went on strike on Tuesday when they were overwhelmed by about 400 patients who all wanted to be treated. In an interview, Dr Goqwana blamed the problems on the hospital’s reluctance to rationalise its services.

Public health institutions in the metro were to be rationalised, but they all opposed it, he said.

Patients from far away areas were flocking into Dora Nginza because they were turned away by their local hospitals and clinics due to racism.

He singled out the PE Provincial as a hospital that practised racism by referring black patients to other hospitals.

Dr Goqwana said the health department would send two managers from Bisho on Monday to help Dora Nginza’s management.

They would also employ two directors-- for human resources and finance for Dora Nginza. These posts would be advertised next week.

He claimed the problems at the hospital had been solved.

Mr Trent said he “rejected with contempt” allegations that any form of racism was a determining factor in the service provided to patients at the Provincial Hospital.

He said he “resented the fact” that the MEC made “a habit of dragging racism into everything”.

“By doing so he’s being obstructive and not serving the best interests of the metro and the province.

“It just shows you how ill-informed he is as to what’s going on the metro.

“The Provincial Hospital Board and I have never been opposed to rationalisation – if it’s to the advantage of the patients and not to the budget of provincial government. There’s also been no cost benefit analysis on that as far as I know.

“We have been opposed to the way its being done – without proper consultation.”

Mr Trent also objected to the short notice he was given to attend the meeting.

“I was informed of it at 5pm on Wednesday. I went there not knowing what was to be discussed and had to leave early due to other commitments.”

Mr Trent was also dismayed that the MEC wanted to ensure metro hospitals and emergency services were prepared for the cricket World Cup despite past reports of poor service delivery.

“I found that appalling and unacceptable because everybody knows the metro’s hospitals are virtually on their knees.

“Suddenly he’s worried because we’re going to have some visitors.

What about the citizens of our metro? Are they not important?” asked Mr Trent.

“I’m not saying that we shouldn’t welcome visitors.

“We should already have a First World emergency service in place. We shouldn’t just focus on that when the World Cup comes to town.”

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