Nursing and cleaning staff at the Middelburg Provincial Hospital are not quite done fighting for better working conditions yet, amid ongoing meetings with the Department of Health over failing infrastructure.

Hospital personnel started with demonstrations on June 6, with the demand that ‘management must go’, as working conditions at the hospital continue to decay.

According to sources speaking directly from within the hospital, the meetings between staff and the Department of Health are ongoing, with several of their complaints having been addressed since.

The demonstrations started after nursing and cleaning staff became fed up with a lack of clean linen, hot water, a shortage of nursing staff and outstanding overtime compensations.

Informants told the Middelburg Observer how patients had no choice but to bring their own blankets or sleep on bare mattresses. Nurses were given disposable plastic gowns to cover patients with, and a lack of hot water meant that patients had to bathe in cold water.

The informants further complained of understaffing, with a ratio of three nurses caring for 33 patients, as well as overtime compensation not being paid.

According to informants, hospital management was instructed to work from home to allow the Department of Health to proceed with its investigation.

Since meetings between the department and staff, overtime monies, and the linen crisis have been addressed, the supply of hot water remains an issue.

“The overtime for February and April has been paid, and the department has arranged that the hospital laundry gets transported to Bethal Hospital to get washed. The boiler is not working, and the kitchen staff have stopped cooking today, because they have no hot water to do the dishes with. Hot water in our wards is also a problem, because the geysers are not working, and we have also been told they cannot install new geysers. Patients have to bathe in cold water.”

The informant also disclosed that while laundry is now being done at the Bethal Hospital, the machines at Middelburg Provincial Hospital are out of order.

“We have one 13kg washing machine, but it can take two blankets and a sheet, then it is full, and the cycle takes an hour to complete. Management was sent home last week, and they have been told to work from home until the end of July. They are relaxing while the rest of us work.”

• A media enquiry was sent to the Department of Health, underlining questions including when the out-of-order boiler and geysers will be repaired, and when new washing machines will be provided.

Christopher Nobela, media spokesperson for the Department of Health, responded in a previous media enquiry by saying that the development of the new hospital was done to address the deteriorating infrastructure.

In response to that statement, the Middelburg Observer questioned when the new hospital will be operational and when the hospital will be moved from the old building to the new one.

No response was received from the department by the time of publication.

Also read:

‘Management must go!’ – nurses demand, amid decaying conditions

Department in meeting with Middelburg Hospital management, staff