KZN health committee ‘satisfied’ with hospital diagnosis during check-ups, but some departments still limping

The KwaZulu-Natal health portfolio committee is satisfied with the progress made by the Vryheid District Hospital in its bid to become a regional health facility.

The committee was completing its  unannounced oversight visits to three hospitals in the province on Tuesday.

The committee said unplanned visits were the best method to get a clear picture of day-to-day activities in the health facilities.

The hospital was identified by health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu as the district referral when there was a shortage of beds in Zululand.

Nomakiki Majola, committee chairperson, said during a visit last year, the hospital refused to show them the budget for that financial year. They resolved to return but this didn’t happen.

Tuesday's surprise visit was to “check if anything had started before that formal date”.

Majola said they were encouraged by the doctors’ efforts to improve and their overall state of readiness.

“They have started to perform all the duties expected from a regional hospital. They have taken some of their doctors to Madadeni and Benedictine for training. We can go further to the issue of the National Health Insurance (NHI) where they have their doctors contracted to visit our clinics for the purpose of implementing the NHI.”

Committee members were also impressed by the way they deal with victims of gender-based violence (GBV) — one of the most common crimes in the province — in the crisis centre under the watch of a social worker and a clinical psychologist since November.

“The way they are doing their work and their road map for victims of GBV has been the best one. They also do follow-ups with patients, which is in line with the social development department [requirements].”

The committee also commended efforts to improve infrastructure.

“The removal of asbestos has started. The company has been on site since November last year and work has started in most buildings. It is a work in progress.”

Last week the committee visited the Inkosi Albert Luthuli hospital where committee members sought to establish the performance of the 19 operating theatres and how much this contributes to the high number of litigations faced by the provincial health department.

The committee found the hospital was understaffed, mainly due to losing staff to the Covid-19 pandemic, retirement and poaching of specialist staff to other provinces.

The shortage of staff leads to underutilisation of beds due to unavailability of staff to manage special wards.

At Town Hill Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, the committee found shortages of junior medical personnel was one of the barriers to providing adequate patient care.

This has often forced skilled nurses to step into roles in which they are not supposed to work.

This was the view of hospital CEO Reginald Hadebe, who briefed the provincial legislature portfolio committee conducting an unannounced visit on Thursday.

“If there are good stories to tell about this hospital it would be that all executive posts are filled. The problem lies with the foot soldier, where there is a vacuum,” said Hadebe.

He listed enrolled nurses and nursing assistant posts which left the hospital limping. 

“This often doesn’t sit well with some personnel, who perceive management as cruel and insensitive,” said Hadebe.

The hospital is currently treating 154 patients. It also works closely with Northdale district hospital.

At the hospital’s child and adolescent unit, which admits young children who present with psychiatric disorders, the committee found it was without an occupational therapist. 

Primrose Mavangwe, operational manager for the unit, said some parents found it hard to look after a child with an intellectual disability.

“Parents become increasingly overwhelmed. There is little we can do when it comes to their schooling because of a lack of support and because we are not teachers,” said Mavangwe. 

The unit accommodates eight patients.

Some patients’ conditions can be linked to substance abuse and fractured family structures.

Mavangwe said this pattern had been apparent since she joined the hospital three years ago. 

“This paints a picture that mental health is a big problem for males.” 

Mavangwe said storm damage before 2019 had destroyed two wards, and had a knock-on effect on the hospital’s waiting list. 

Specialist psychiatrist Karina Ranjit said Town Hill was the only hospital servicing the region.

The King Dinuzulu hospital in Durban also offers the services.

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