Barberton General Hospital CEO, Ms Matlape Mawela has condemned attacks on health practitioners on the hospital premises by community members.
Speaking during the open day last Thursday, Mawela said in one instance a wounded patient who was being treated, pointed a pistol at the doctor.
She pleaded with community members to take care of the health practitioners because they are scarce and such acts could force them to leave the facility.
“Barberton hospital management and staff condemn the recurrent violent outbreaks occurring in our community. More often than not, our staff work in fear, as they are intimidated and prevented from dispensing their professional responsibilities by some of the perpetrators within the hospital premises. This practice, if it is not discouraged and terminated, has the potential to bring the services of the hospital to its knees. While we have never had major challenges to attract key professionals to the hospital, the violence and anger directed to our staff may make this impossible,” the CEO explained.
Mawela said Barberton hospital’s vision was to be “a first choice health services provider”.

She said this simply means that they want every community member, irrespective of race, creed, religion, gender, social class or status, to have access to world-class health services when they are admitted to their hospital.
“In this way, we will be contributing meaningfully to the realisation of Section 27 subsection 1 (a) and subsection 2 of the Constitution of South Africa. We pledge ourselves to provide our services in line with Batho Pele principles. We are, therefore, instructed by Batho Pele principles and other legislation to consult with you as the important stakeholders of this hospital on our service standards. We use this month – Public Service Month – to pledge our commitment to serve you in line with these principles. We also urge you to please rate our service and give us feedback in the suggestion boxes. Where it happens that we are not meeting the standards as we are promising today, please request to speak to the manager of the unit or section. Alternatively, please call the relevant managers on the numbers provided on the walls in each ward and unit,” explained Mawela.
She further encouraged community members to start at the primary health-care centres closer to them when they feel ill instead of flooding the hospital.
“The nurses at our clinics are well capable of assessing you and a referral letter will be written if you need to come to the hospital. In this way, the hospital will be able to give fast and efficient services to relevant individuals. It is a legal requirement for all community members to bring their identification (ID, passport or asylum letter), proof of income, correct residential address and contact numbers,” continued Mawela.
She said they were also concerned with patients who take their hospital files.
“We have noted that some of our community members leave the hospital premises with their hospital files. We request that you bear with us as we are aware that at times retrieving of file has its challenges. Yet there is no community member that is allowed to take their files home. Section 16 and 17 of the National Health Act prescribes how health records may be handled, stored and accessed. This act makes it a criminal offence to possess health records, even your own, without following the right procedures,” said Mawela.
In closing, Mawela said the Barberton hospital management and staff were always striving to comply with the national norms and standards.
“The key standards that are used to assess us are the national core standards. We are grateful to announce to the community of Umjindi that for the most recent standards assessment conducted for the 2016/17 financial year, Barberton hospital achieved 84 per cent and is the number one in the province. This achievement means nothing if it does not translate into quality service for you, the community,” Mawela concluded.