DEAR Editor,-
An oversight inspection by the DA at Port Shepstone Regional Hospital revealed that, while plans are in place to begin repairs after the south wing was gutted by fire in May, parts of the affected building are still being used to house patients.
ALSO READ : Fire repairs start at Port Shepstone Regional Hospital
The situation was uncovered earlier this week after it was established that, while fire damage to the ground floor had been neatened and painted over, senior management are extremely worried about the safety of staff and as many as 109 patients, who can be accommodated three floors up, due to possible infrastructure damage. This is a particular concern as the storm season approaches.
This is a disaster waiting to happen. If this building should collapse, it would lead to horrific loss of life. The DA expects KZN Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo to immediately confirm whether a stability assessment was in fact undertaken by structural and other engineers after the fire.
This remains unclear since the fire report was never tabled before the province’s Health Portfolio Committee (HPC).
Nor were the committee ever briefed about the contents of the report or the safety of the three floors. The question that must be asked is – what is the MEC trying to hide?
It was also found that in certain parts of the hospital, doctors are still trying to function without internet connectivity since the fire destroyed several computer servers. As a result, they must walk some 50m from consulting rooms to check patients’ blood test results, which they have to access via their phones. It’s is an incredibly frustrating situation which must be amended.
In spite of the obvious ongoing infrastructure concerns, the Port Shepstone Regional Hospital is very well run. In my almost four and a half years of health facility oversights, its good work is unparalleled, with management having reached 97 percent of national core standards. The hospital is clean and staff have innovated in many ways to drastically improve patients’ lives. In fact this facility should be used as a benchmark for others.
The only stumbling blocks right now are those created by uncaring, out of touch political leadership with KZN’s Department of Health. This ultimately led to a shortage of essential medicines, affecting very sick newborns, particularly in the neonatal intensive care unit (and other areas), along with a lack of supply of basic items such as syringes and critical and lifesaving medicines.
ALSO READ : Port Shepstone Hospital thanks visiting and local Rotarians for their support
The DA will write to MEC Dhlomo to request a copy of the fire report today and expect him to supply a copy within seven working days. In the event that he fails to comply with our request, the DA will submit a Public Access to Information Application (PAIA) to obtain it.
Regrettably this is our only option as the MEC has proved time and again that his verbal assurances cannot be trusted. He lied consistently throughout the province’s ongoing oncology crisis which destroyed any trust the DA ever had in his public pronouncements.
The MEC can no longer hide the contents of this report while hospital officials are in the dark about the safety of the building in which they work, while also being answerable for the wellbeing of their patients on a daily basis.
DR IMRAN KEEKA, MPL
DA KZN Spokesperson on Health
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