Not enough beds for expecting moms at Edenvale Hospital
Extra wards are needed and should be built as soon as possible - Jack Bloom
THE maternity ward at Edenvale Hospital is grossly overcrowded, with bed occupancy as high as 130% in July this year.
This was revealed by Gauteng Health MEC, Qedani Mahlangu, in a written reply to questions in the Gauteng Legislature by Jack Bloom (MPL), DA Gauteng shadow MEC for Health.
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“According to her reply, bed occupancy in the maternity ward was higher than 100% in six of the nine months from January to September this year. The paediatrics and orthopaedics wards have also experienced more than 100% bed occupancy in some months of this year,” Bloom added.
Patients wait about two hours at the outpatients department, one hour at casualty and 100 minutes at the pharmacy.
Mahlangu says measures to reduce waiting times include:
• An appointment system for all disciplines, including repeat medication;
• Files for patients with appointments are drawn the previous day, giving priority to vulnerable patients; and
• Triage system is in place to fast track emergency patients.
“The hospital has only 22 vacancies out of 695 total staff. The main problem at this hospital is a shortage of beds. Extra wards are needed and should be built as soon as possible,” Bloom added.
