Spend enough time speaking to patients and their families across Gauteng’s public hospitals, says DA shadow MEC for health Jack Bloom, and a pattern begins to take shape.
There seems to be a series of delays that add up. Operations cancelled at the last minute, equipment that doesn’t work and, consequently, patients lying in beds for weeks waiting for procedures that never seem to materialise.
Bloom intervenes to save patient at Steve Biko Hospital
Jonothan Gerds’ case is one of many, said Bloom, adding that they are becoming routine. “It’s been really distressing,” Bloom said.
He noted ongoing issues at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria where air-conditioning failures in operating theatres have prevented surgeries from going ahead.
“They simply can’t operate when temperatures are too high,” he said. So, patients wait in conditions that can turn dangerous.
“You’ve got patients languishing in beds for weeks at a time,” he said. “Elderly patients with broken hips, which is life-threatening if they don’t have operations soon, just lying there, picking up infections and deteriorating.”
While hospital management often respond when he intervenes, he questioned what happens to patients without access to someone who can escalate their case.
Who escalates cases?
“I do what I can. I go to the top,” he said. “But I wonder if it’s only because I’ve intervened. What about the thousands of other patients who don’t know who to contact?”
Bloom said many patients and relatives are reluctant to speak up, though, despite poor conditions affecting their health.
“People feel very vulnerable in a hospital bed,” he said. “There is a fear that they will be victimised if they complain.”
It’s evident in some of the messages he receives. Patients send photographs and accounts of untreated wounds, infections and conditions that worsen over time.
“You just see a person deteriorating before your eyes,” he said. “And they’re not being assisted.”
Lack of funding
Bloom said the issue is not a lack of funding. Gauteng health’s budget sits at about R70 billion.
“But it’s wasted through corruption, inefficiency and the wrong people in the wrong positions. And the victim is the patient,” he said.
In Gerds’ case, the situation appears to have worsened after complaints were raised. “I feel like I’m being interrogated and bullied. I’m being constantly questioned and I’m scared,” Gerds wrote to The Citizen.
“The lady from the complaints department basically attacked me yesterday and told me my case doesn’t matter.”
Bloom said reports that the patient felt intimidated are concerning. He said he intends to take the matter up with management.
Patient intimidation concerning
“Quality assurance should live up to its name,” he said. “They should improve communication and they should not intimidate patients.”
Gerds was finally operated on yesterday following pressure.
“They did the skin graft,” he said, “and they were worried about the infection, but it turned out my hand was good enough for skin graft. Unfortunately, they had to amputate half my middle finger.”
Bloom said: “I think the pressure worked. But how many other patients are slipping between the cracks? Cases like these are really upsetting.”
He said Gerds “seems to have been let down at every stage of the health care system”.
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