Apart from having to battle with an illness when admitted to the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital (RMSH) in Kimberley, patients will also have to face the cold this winter, in more than one way.
Since the beginning of the year, no hot water has been available in big parts of the hospital, and no heating to warm up ice-cold wards.
“How I am suppose to put infection control into practice if my patients cannot even wash or shower?” a concerned medical practitioner at the hospital asks.
“Apart from no hot water, there is also no heating in the wards. In summer we are struggling with warm wards, in winter we have to face the ice-cold wards. This has been going on for more than two years,” the practitioner says.
“As a medical practitioner who wants to heal patients, I am really approaching this winter with concern due to these ongoing issues.”
Lulu Mxekezo, head of communications at the Northern Cape Department of Health, has commented on this.
“The department is aware of the hot water challenge at the hospital and is working very hard to resolve it as soon as possible.
“We have a service provider who is working on the issues experienced. We are awaiting the delivery of items needed to repair the issues. The delay is caused by supplier issues due to the global situation.”
She says the department apologises to patients who are affected by this.
By the time of going to print, the department had not yet responded on the matter of the apparent faulty air-conditioning systems in some of the wards.
