Bertha Gxowa patients voice frustration over hours-long waiting times

Patients at Bertha Gxowa Hospital in Germiston have raised serious concerns about slow service and long waiting periods, particularly at the pharmacy.

Many say they spend the entire day at the facility, arriving early in the morning only to leave late in the afternoon. Residents who rely on the hospital for care have described the experience as frustrating and exhausting.

Community members argue that the hospital should implement urgent measures to speed up the process, as long waiting times not only inconvenience patients but also compromise their health.

The situation at Bertha Gxowa highlights a wider problem in public healthcare facilities across the province, where patients often face long queues, delays in receiving medication, and administrative backlogs.

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Germiston City News sent an enquiry to the hospital regarding these issues. Bertha Gxowa chief executive officer, Lebohang Khumalo, said these challenges are not unique to Bertha Gxowa, as many other public facilities are experiencing the same difficulties.

“Due to the growing demand for public healthcare services, there has also been an increase in the number of patients coming from outside our catchment areas.

“However, the hospital has requested additional human resources to address staff attrition and curriculum changes affecting pharmacy students who are placed at the institution,” explained Khumalo.

Khumalo added that budget constraints within the department have also posed challenges. “The hospital has a plan to maximise the current resources to improve the patient experience of care.”

Khumalo said the pharmacy has introduced the following measures to curb long waiting times:
• Providing a two-month supply of medication to stable chronic patients.
• Encouraging stable chronic patients to enrol in DABLAPMEDS (Centralised Chronic Medicine Dispensing and Distribution – CCMDD).
• Referring patients to local clinics in line with the department’s referral pathway.

Khumalo acknowledged that while these steps are necessary, they sometimes affect other patients.

“The pharmacy must follow legal dispensing processes, which include assessing prescriptions, capturing, picking, validating, and dispensing medication, as well as counselling patients on their treatment,” Khumalo explained.

When asked how the hospital monitors efficiency in the filing and pharmacy system, Khumalo said: “Quality assurance is supported by courtesy officers who assist with monitoring, tracing files, and managing collection dates.

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“Ongoing meetings are held within the quality assurance department to address challenges, in collaboration with the out-patient department and AET unit.

“The clinical governance structure also monitors and evaluates waiting times while developing and implementing mitigating strategies.”

The hospital is looking at both short-term and long-term plans to improve efficiency.

Short-term plans include:
• Down-referring patients to local clinics.
• Expanding the CCMDD programme for stable chronic patients.
• Providing two- to three-month repeat prescriptions for stable chronic patients.
• Prioritising vulnerable groups such as the elderly, minors, people living with disabilities, and pregnant women.
• Continuous monitoring by a multidisciplinary team.
• Improving the patient booking system.

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Long-term plans include:
• Strengthening different disciplines at the institution with additional human resources.
• Continuously educating patients to use their nearest clinics and hospitals.
• Introducing an electronic filing system that integrates with both the pharmacy and doctors.
• Establishing 24-hour clinics near the hospital.
• Keeping the pharmacy open 24/7 to cater for patients from the accident, emergency, and trauma units.