Patients have spoken out about their shocking experiences at Rob Ferreira Tertiary Hospital following an oversight visit by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).

Members of the public who have had first-hand experiences have come forward to share their stories and express their dissatisfaction.

Patients share hospital experiences

Chantel Botes Coetzee spoke about her family’s ordeal: “This is the reality my sister faced when her newborn baby was admitted to Rob Ferreira Hospital at just three days old with meningitis. He had to stay in the hospital for 14 long days.

For those 14 days, she barely slept. She spent her nights on a hard plastic chair, with no bed or bedding. There was no hot water, the toilets were dirty, and the conditions were far from what any parent should have to endure.

“Imagine being terrified that your tiny baby might not make it while also having to face these conditions every single day. A mother shouldn’t have to choose between staying by her baby’s side and having access to the most basic human necessities.

“Our healthcare workers do incredible work under difficult circumstances, but the facilities available to parents need urgent attention. Every parent with a sick child deserves dignity, cleanliness, and a safe place to rest while fighting alongside their little one. No family should have to go through this.”

Riana Rossouw also recounted her experience, saying her mother had suffered a transient ischaemic attack in March, followed by a major stroke in April.

“She was taken to hospital by ambulance, yet we waited more than 24 hours before she was seen,” said Rossouw.

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“I begged for help through tears, but we were repeatedly told to ‘just wait over there’. The conditions in the emergency department were horrifying.”
“There were urine-soaked beds, blood and discarded needles thrown into a sink in the corner, and medication left unsecured.

While we waited, I witnessed two people die in the emergency corridor. It was the most traumatic experience of our lives. Thankfully, my mum survived, but she has permanent damage that may have been prevented had she received treatment sooner.

No family should have to go through that.”
By the time of publication, the department had not yet confirmed the deaths of the two people in the corridor.
Violet van der Westhuizen expressed her frustration over the facility’s state: “It’s high time that something was done, especially about the floors, which are constantly covered in water. If someone slips and gets injured, who will be held responsible?

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There also needs to be improvement in the way some of the staff behind the counters treat people. Their lack of compassion is shocking.

You arrive, are told to take a seat because they will call your name, and after waiting for three hours, you eventually go to ask about your file.

Then they tell you they called you a long time ago, even though they had instructed you to remain seated while you waited. The service is frustrating and needs urgent attention.”

SAHRC documents severe failures
The hospital’s conditions have now been formally documented by the SAHRC, whose oversight visit on June 15 laid bare the true conditions of Mpumalanga’s last line of defence for thousands of patients.

For years, Lowvelder has reported on the slow rot: malfunctioning infrastructure, the mistreatment of patients, and a system stretched to breaking point.

The SAHRC’s findings confirm what whistle-blowers and families have long alleged – a hospital where dignity is stripped away by shortages, neglect and collapse.
Patients were found sleeping on stretchers, in wheelchairs and on ward floors.

In Ward 3, a surgical patient waited on a bench for admission, while in the maternity wards, new mothers were allegedly forced to leave their newborns unattended while searching for functioning toilets.

Toilets stood broken and without doors, taps ran endlessly and wards were reportedly without hot water. Staff told investigators that hot water had been absent for years, with wards rationed to as few as 10 blankets. Families were even asked to supply their own linen and gowns.

Infrastructure failures compounded the indignity, with ceilings collapsing in Ward 8, ablution facilities out of order in the outpatient department and taps that could not be closed in the casualty ward.

Department disputes findings

The Mpumalanga Department of Health disputed the findings. Health spokesperson Chris Nobela described the claims as ‘misleading and factually incorrect’, insisting that hot water is available, linen supplies were boosted last year and toilets were repaired promptly.

He argued that bed shortages were temporary, caused by Rob Ferreira’s role as a referral hospital and stressed that no patient is turned away and stable cases are transferred to district hospitals when necessary.

Nobela acknowledged shortages of specialised nurses in nephrology and oncology but said recruitment is ongoing. He further urged the public and political parties to verify information with the department before making claims that could ‘unnecessarily alarm communities’.

DA demands accountability

That appeal came after the DA amplified the crisis with its own oversight visit, conducted alongside the SAHRC.

The DA said it found patients forced to bring their own blankets, sheets and pillows due to linen shortages, while nurses turned stretchers and wheelchairs into makeshift beds.

Toilets in the male, female and maternity wards were reportedly either broken or without running water, and some lacked doors.

Staff members told the DA, on the condition of anonymity, that the hospital had been without hot water for more than four years, forcing them to bathe patients in cold water, even during winter. Visitors were seen carrying kettles to heat water for bathing and making tea.

The DA announced that it will write to the Health Ombud at the Office of Health Standards Compliance, asking that Mpumalanga Health MEC Sasekani Manzini be held accountable for what it calls ‘systematic and critical failures’ at Rob Ferreira.

The party intends to table a motion in the provincial legislature, requesting that the Health Portfolio Committee conduct its own oversight and report back with recommendations for immediate and long-term solutions.