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- Denosa laid a formal complaint against a hospital for what it said were inhumane conditions for nurses.
- It said expectant mothers were sleeping on the floors, and neonatal babies were treated in a delivery ward with no monitors.
- The provincial health department acknowledged it had challenges at various health facilities.
Nurses at Kuruman District Hospital's maternity ward in the Northern Cape have complained of working under inhumane conditions.
On Saturday, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) lodged a formal complaint with the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), the South African Nursing Council (SANC), and the Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) about the appalling conditions at the hospital.
Denosa's national spokesperson, Sibongiseni Delihlazo, said the organisation had called on the three entities to inspect and investigate the violations of patients' and healthcare workers' constitutional rights and dignity at the hospital.
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Delihlazo said: "On Wednesday last week, members of Denosa visited the hospital and discovered inhumane conditions nurses were subjected to.
"Only three midwives were on duty and, on that day, there were 53 patients in that ward, which had a bed capacity of 25 patients; 28 mothers were lying on blankets. Privacy and infection prevention and control could not be promoted because of overcrowding.
"Neonatal babies, who would ordinarily be treated in Neonatal High Care or ICU, were being treated in the delivery ward."
He added that neonatal babies were treated under the baby warmer, with only a nasal cannula, and no monitors to continuously monitor their vital signs.
He said:
He said by reporting the matter to the three entities, Denosa sought their immediate intervention through inspection and investigations on the violations of many constitutional rights of patients and the rights of healthcare workers to render their patient care in a conducive and positive practice environment.
"Denosa has given both the hospital and provincial health department until 14 May to improve the current situation at the institution. Failure to turn around the poor state of health at the facility's maternity section by 15 May will see Denosa withdrawing the nursing staff in the maternity ward, who are deliberately made to risk their careers, as they could be litigated and sued for misconduct," Delihlazo said.
Provincial health spokesperson Lulu Mxekezo said the department had experienced some challenges at various health facilities, especially related to the shortage of human resources, which was a national challenge.
"The department is interacting with stakeholders to facilitate the renovation of health facilities. The clinical equipment is procured according to the needs and the urgency to ensure that patients receive the quality of service they deserve," she said, when asked about the situation at Kuruman District Hospital.
