The KwaZulu-Natal Health Portfolio Committee’s recent visit to Northdale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg has unveiled alarming challenges that are contributing to the decline of healthcare services in the region.

With a two-year waiting list for orthopaedic implants, inadequate suturing equipment, and significant infrastructural issues, the sole district hospital is under increasing strain to provide effective patient care.

Committee chairperson Imran Keeka said that following a formal engagement and presentation last year, they committed to visiting Northdale Hospital to witness their challenges firsthand.

Keeka said the portfolio committee visited the hospital on February 11. Instead of discussing the report, the committee toured the facility and was guided by facility management towards specific areas.

The leaking roof was a major infrastructural issue at the facility, and they also discovered several problems in the casualty area, he said.

“Things ranging from old pitted and rusted equipment used to stitch patients, shortage of suture materials, and surgeons in the theatre had to use the wrong size gloves to do operations, which hampers their work.

“We found discrepancies in the supply of medicines; the chiller and air-conditioning system was not only outdated, it was broken among several other issues,” said Keeka.

He emphasised that the consequences of all these issues are horrendous. “For example, if you use rusted equipment to suture the patient, you could be giving the patient tetanus. If the air conditioning in the theatres is not working properly, you put the patient at risk of sepsis or post-operative infections. So these things all need to be optimised.

“We understand that these things will begin to be addressed in the upcoming budget cycle, but currently, the situation is not optimal,” he said.

In the orthopaedics department, Keeka said there is a two-year waiting list for joint replacements because they could not get the implants.

“Pre-Covid, this was a one-week waiting period, and now it’s a two-year waiting period. We understand fully that there are massive budgetary constraints, and the department is working on austerity measures that will result in the next budget hopefully having money to begin to address these things,” he said.

Keeka noted that while patients usually complain about rude staff, long wait times, and not receiving enough medication, during the visit, patients were relatively satisfied with the service.

He said the patients they interacted with were happy with the service and medicine they were receiving. Although they found some long wait times, they were not excessive.

According to Keeka, the committee is investigating bottlenecks in the depots to improve district management and resource sharing between hospitals. “The hospital management is aware of the issues raised; the problem is not at the hospital level, the problem is with the depots that are supposed to be well stocked.”

Patient complaints highlight issues with referral pathways, preventing access to treatment and higher care levels, he stated, adding that KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane pledged to address this policy problem at the MinMEC meeting, where it can be discussed with all MECs and Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.

In order to see improvements in facilities like Northdale and other essential services provided by the department, Keeka said all infrastructure projects will need to be stopped to redirect those funds into a maintenance cycle of at least three to five years.

He said the committee understands the necessity of building new hospitals and clinics, but our current facilities are collapsing and need immediate attention.

“There is a need to go into a maintenance cycle to fix what is broken and then go back to doing those kinds of things. So, citizens of the province will have to be patient to ensure that their facilities are in a better state, and then we can do more,” he said.

The Health and Other Services Personnel Trade Union of South Africa (Hospersa) said the challenges at Northdale Hospital have been raised on several occasions by union members with management, to address ongoing issues that affect both staff and patient care.

The union said these concerns, ranging from staffing shortages to working conditions, are being discussed at the Institutional Management and Labour Committee (IMLC) level, where the matter remains unresolved.

“Despite the ongoing discussion, there has been little progress in addressing the root causes of the issues. The continued lack of action is having a significant impact on the hospital’s operations, which is destructive to both healthcare providers and the patients who rely on these critical services,” it said.

Hospersa said it is crucial that management and the Department of Health take immediate and effective action to address these challenges on time, ensuring a supportive and efficient working environment for staff, as well as high-quality care for the patients.

KZN Health spokesperson Ntokozo Maphisa said while the department has previously been on record acknowledging the budgetary constraints facing it, they are fully aware of the operational and infrastructure challenges affecting not only Northdale Hospital but many public health institutions.

“The department is working tirelessly to address these issues and ensure the delivery of quality healthcare services,” he said.

Maphisa added that any concerns or observations raised by the committee are deliberated at the legislative level.

karen.singh@inl.co.za