The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) in KwaZulu-Natal welcomes the probe by the MEC of Health into the incident that led to the death of an elderly at Northdale Hospital’s make-shift ward on the hospital’s makeshift parking lot clinic and the suspension of senior management at the facility over this issue. 

We hope, once investigation is concluded, those responsible will face the consequences of their action and we furthermore call on the Department to cast its eyes over other institutions s well where a similar mischief by hospital management may be playing out but has not yet been caught on camera.

From months ago, DENOSA has received many complaints from its members and shop stewards from the same hospital over the poor manner in which the planning of the make-shift units was made, which has exposed patients to more dangers and loss of dignity. And these complaints and institutions were communicated by DENOSA to the provincial department.

“Many community members have expressed their anger and frustrations towards nurses at that make-shift parking lot clinic because it often get cold there by the middle of the night in that area at this time of the year, and there would be no blankets that nurses can give to patients,” explains DENOSA KZN Provincial Secretary, Mandla Shabangu.

“And the anger caused by this poor and inconsiderate plan by management would be directed at poor nurses, who had nothing to do with it and those responsible for it would be fast asleep in their comfortable beds.”

From as early as April this year, our shop stewards raised the serious issue of the need to separate patients who are confirmed COVID-19 cases from those who are still waiting for their results. The management had promised to do so, and the status quo remains and all patients are still under the same roof, using the same amenities and nurses are made to care for patients still awaiting their results without PPE.

As a result, nine nurses from one unit have contracted the virus and yet it is still business as usual.

The total care for patients, communities and healthcare staff is not something that is respected at the institution and the facility has actually become a danger to everybody.

DENOSA has issued a strict instruction to its members at the facility not to touch patients if they are not given PPE because that carelessness increases the spread of infection at a health institution that should be preventing and managing the spread of infection to patients and workers.

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Issued by DENOSA in KwaZulu-Natal

For more information, contact:

Mandla Shabangu, DENOSA KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Secretary

Cell: 071 643 3369

Tel: 031 305 1417