Oversight visit reveals shortages of doctors, linen and beds, no hot water.
Broken furniture at Rob Ferreira Hospital. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
Rob Ferreira Hospital, one of Mpumalanga’s two tertiary hospitals, has been rocked by complaints of deteriorating patient care, with severe linen shortages that have allegedly forced some patients to bring their own blankets, bedsheets and pillows from home.
The public facility, in Mbombela, has allegedly operated without hot water for more than four years, forcing nurses and families to bathe patients with cold water and use kettles to heat water.
SAHRC inspection reveals hot water, bed and linen shortages
An oversight visit by the SA Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) uncovered a chronic shortage of beds, with patients using stretchers and wheelchairs as makeshift beds, while others sleep on mattresses on ward floors.
The commission also observed widespread sanitation failures, including broken toilets in male, female and maternity wards, frequent water outages that leave ablution facilities without running water, and toilets without doors.
New mothers were allegedly forced to leave their newborn babies unattended while searching for functioning toilets elsewhere in the hospital.
The hospital is also allegedly battling crippling staff shortages, overcrowding, failing infrastructure and a shortage of basic equipment, which SAHRC says needs urgent attention.
Eric Mokonyama, the commission’s provincial manager, said they visited the hospital on 15 June.
“The staff said it’s been a while since there has been no hot water. One said it could be four years… Wards are allegedly provided with only 10 blankets. Some patients have to request families to bring them blankets. We were also advised that there is shortage of linen and gowns.”
In ward seven, some patients were sleeping on stretchers due to bed shortages and in ward three for male surgical patients, one waited on a bench to be admitted, due to shortage of beds, Mokonyama said.
“The shortage of staff was raised but we can’t confirm it before obtaining the staff establishment of the hospital.
“Infrastructure challenges were also observed: a ceiling is collapsing in ward eight and taps are running persistently without closing, especially in ward seven and casualty. Some ablution facilities are not working at the outpatient department,” he added.
DA asks Health Ombud to investigate
The allegations are also detailed in a formal complaint submitted by the DA to the Office of the Health Ombud, asking the office to investigate what it describes as “systematic and critical failures” at the hospital.
The party said the conditions compromised patient dignity, infection prevention and the right to quality health care.
Forcing vulnerable patients, including newborn babies, elderly patients and those recovering from surgery, to bathe with cold water, particularly during winter, undermined both patient dignity and health care standards, it said.
The complaint alleges that hospital management has allowed critical infrastructure failures to persist for years, while patients continue receiving treatment under deteriorating conditions.
“The DA asks the ombud to intervene by investigating the systematic and critical failures at Rob Ferreira Hospital,” DA provincial health spokesperson Bosman Grobler wrote.
The complaint also points to chronic shortages of doctors, nurses and other health care professionals.
“These shortages have contributed to long waiting times, overcrowded wards and mounting pressure on frontline staff.”
Grobler said they intend tabling a motion in the provincial legislature calling on the portfolio committee on health to conduct an independent inspection.
Ombud spokesperson Ntombizodwa Kobuwe said the case was still under assessment and will undergo screening.
The screening includes risk rating of the complaint, which will determine whether it requires further investigation and assessment of whether the complaint falls within the mandate of the office which is to consider, investigate and dispose of the complaint relating to norms and standards in a fair, economical and expeditious manner, she said.
“Depending on the size and complexity of a complaint, an investigation may take up to 24 months,” Kobuwe said.
Hospital employees, including nurses, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Citizen it was almost normal for them not to have access to hot water.
“Some sections of the hospital do have hot water, sporadic in other sections and none at all in some of the wards,” one nurse said.
“Access to hot water is regarded as a fundamental component of infection prevention and control, particularly in surgical wards, neonatal units and areas treating immunocompromised patients.”
A maintenance worker said the provincial health department was trying to fix the hot water but it has been left unattended for so long that it will take time and money.
“The problem is letting a minor maintenance issue escalate into a crisis,” he said.
The provincial department of health had not responded to questions at the time of going to print.
