BILL SMITH of Birchleigh writes:
I was at Johannesburg General (Charlotte Maxeke) Hospital recently. It was obviously a very prestigeous place in its day.
On approaching by road, a security gate has been erected near the main entrance. This gate is however, now abandoned. One wonders why it was put there for in the first place – a good example of unnecessary expenditure.
On entering the underground parking, one is confronted with an automated security gate which is also dysfunctional. A security guard writes out the time of entry on a card and hands it to you. Would it not be cheaper to simply have the gate repaired? It has been like this for more than a year.
From the underground parking, one enters the lift area which has been barricaded with numerous security barriers and gates. They too have been abandoned. This must have cost a fortune to install.
One takes a lift to the fifth floor, which is in fact the ground floor.
There is a very long passage – it must be about a kilometre long. There’s even a mini-shuttle like a golf cart, that will take you for a trip free of charge.
There are six blocks, each numbered and identified by the colour of the paint. They must each have at least nine floors.
There’s hardly a wall that’s not pasted with papers, notices and signs. This is typical of most government establishments – it looks so unprofessional and untidy.
Even various notice boards are cluttered with papers and information. I wonder who ever reads it?
Near the entrance is the admission cubicles. There must be about eight, of which only three are manned.
The cubicle windows appear to be thick security glass with a speaker type device which enables you to talk to the unfriendly person behind – almost like visiting an inmate in a prison. I wonder why this security is necessary?
There’s most likely little if any money there? Even banks have done away with that type of window some time back.
There are hundreds of people waiting to get access to one of these windows. At one window, an employee takes your name and gives you a number – which will be called out when it’s your turn.
Speaking of people, besides those sitting at the admission, there are virtually hundreds milling about up and down the long passage. If you are wondering where your hard earned tax payments go to, you can stop wondering. I doubt that even one per cent of all those people are registered taxpayers.
Among all the throngs of people, are numerous doctors and nurses. It would appear that the dress code for nurses is non-existent, as they seem to wear what they like. One can at least identify them as nurses by the epaulettes on their shoulders; doctors by their stethoscopes around there necks. Where are the days that nurses wore clean, white crisp outfits?
The ward I visited was in the third (orange) block; room 375 on the seventh floor.
On entering the reception area, a nurse at reception looks at you as if you were something the dog dragged in. There’s no ‘greeting’ and “how can I help?”.
This area also has its walls full of signs, papers, notices and what not – the most interesting of these notices, is a large one listing ‘patients’ rights’.
Another interesting notice spells out ‘our mission and values’. I wonder how much of this is ever put in to practice?
A patient informed me that breakfast every morning is porridge – mielie meal or Maltabela – with one slice of bread and butter. No tea or coffee with breakfast, or any other meals or in between. I’m sure prisoners are treated better.
The toilets and bathrooms are filthy, with some toilets blocked with “you know what”. Where are the old days with a ward sister in charge, who would ensure cleanliness?
The matron would also do rounds every so often.
The wards aren’t much better. The walls have long since seen a coat of paint. One bedside drawer and cupboard that I looked into, had a moulding rotten apple and some left over rotting food.
This is a place where patients are recovering from an illness or operation; they shouldn’t be in a bug-infested environment.
Surely even the nursing staff have to use the same toilets; are they not ashamed? Can they not arrange for them to be cleaned?
It’s strange that every so often, one hears of the nurses protesting for more pay – do they deserve it?
