The Democratic Alliance (DA) has learned with shock that healthcare workers are forced to carry critically ill patients up and down the stairs of Standerton Hospital, Mpumalanga, as lifts are not working.
We have tabled a motion in this regard.
According to information gathered by the DA, lifts at the Standerton Hospital have been completely out of order for more than four months.
Furthermore, the theatre at this hospital is on the 2nd floor and another surgical unit is on another floor. This forces doctors and other healthcare workers to carry critical patients on their backs up and down the stairs. Sometimes critically ill and emergency patients are forced to go up and down the stairs themselves because they have no choice.
This also means that an already distressed woman who is about to give birth through a Caesarean delivery in this hospital is forced to walk herself up and down the stairs to the surgery ward.
It cannot be seen as normal for a woman who is experiencing an emergency ectopic pregnancy to get herself to theatre through the stairs, and a day later after the operation walk herself down the stairs again.
The DA has also learned that the hospital has run out of theatre clothing. Patients are just wrapped with a cloth or a sheet walking up and down the stairs naked. This is inhumane and a total violation of a patient’s rights to privacy and their dignity is trembled upon.
The DA has called upon the Provincial Government, particularly the Department of Health and Public Works, to urgently fix or replace lifts at Standerton Hospital.
This Hospital must also be provided with theatre clothing with immediate effect to restore patients’ dignity.
Today, the DA tabled a Motion in the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature on this particular matter of dysfunctional lifts and theatre clothing. We are pleased that the House adopted our Motion.
Putting political differences for the sake of the people we serve will see many service delivery issues being attended to. We hope that the ruling party supporting the DA’s motion means that the lifts at Standerton Hospital will be fixed or replaced as soon as possible. We will continue to monitor implementation thereof.