Oversight visit to Tembisa Hospital shows significant improvement
Nkomo-Ralehoko confirmed the significant improvements made to bolster service provision to mental healthcare users and general patients at the hospital.
The Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko conducted an oversight visit at the Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital on January 25.
Nkomo-Ralehoko confirmed the significant improvements made to bolster service provision to mental healthcare users and general patients at the hospital.
The visit followed the circulation of a misleading video taken in December 2022 at the facility.
“It was distributed afresh at the end of last week on social media platforms to mislead the public into believing that mental health care users at the facility are currently kept in poor conditions.
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“The facility has since the beginning of the year doubled its bed capacity for admission of mental healthcare users from 30 to 60 and no longer uses an overflow area at casualty to accommodate such patients,” said Nkomo-Ralehoko.
Over the years, the hospital has undergone infrastructure upgrades to create a conducive environment for patients and staff, including the addition of an Alternative Building Technology structure.
On assessment of services at the hospital, Nkomo-Ralehoko acknowledged challenges faced by the facility in the past but emphasised the strides they made to overcome these obstacles and improve service provision at Tembisa Hospital.
“It is worrying when people re-share old videos without context and wanting society to believe what is portrayed reflects the current conditions at the hospital.”
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“I am proud of the work this institution and its staff have done. There has been a significant improvement in all aspects.
“The Tembisa Hospital you knew two years ago is no more; we have made strides to ensure the provision of quality healthcare services and improved patient experience of care,” said Nkomo-Ralehoko.
She said the department remained committed to providing accessible, quality mental health services to all residents in the province.
Efforts to continually assess and enhance mental health care will continue in collaboration with stakeholders.
