Doctors resign en-mass from Tembisa Hospital
The DA's shadow MEC for Health in Gauteng, Jack Bloem, said the Tembisa Hospital has been hard hit by the departure of 70 staff this year, including 21 doctors and 31 nurses.
“This was revealed by the Gauteng Health MEC, Qedani Mahlangu, in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature. It is a huge blow to this troubled hospital, which had 71 serious medical negligence events last year, the highest in the province. The hospital also lost two radiographers, two occupational therapists and a clinical psychologist,” he said.
Mr Bloem added that there are now 90, funded vacant posts, including the following:
- Doctors – 9
- Nurses – 56
- Allieds – 8
- Administration – 9
- Support – 14
MEC Bloem said according to MEC Mahlangu, the staff shortage impact on turnaround time with regards attending to patients, exhaustion and fatigue. It also impacts on the quality of service rendered to the public.
Mr Bloem added that it is particularly serious in the Intensive Care Unit, where one nurse has to attend to two ventilated patients, instead of the one-nurse-to one-bed standard.
“The strain faced by the hospital strengthens the case for the re-opening of the Kempton Park Hospital in order to cope with the increased population in the area,” he said.
Efforts to contact the hospital for comment before going to press were unsuccessful.
