Three patients on life support systems died when the power failed at Baragwanath hospital
Evidence wa ka Ngobeni The Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, South Africa’s largest hospital, appears to have covered up a deadly power failure that crippled the overcrowded institution this month depriving it of life-support systems for several hours. At least three patients are believed to have died as a direct result of the power cut which occurred on September 2 between about 8pm and 11pm. Electricity was cut after one of the main power stations in the area went down. The Gauteng Department of Health said it had not been informed of the power failure or of its impact on the hospital’s equipment.
Senior nurses and patients who spoke to the Mail & Guardian on Monday and Tuesday this week confirmed that three patients who were admitted to the hospital’s ward 5 had died as a result of the power cut. Other nurses in charge in ward 6 said that a patient had died after the power cut, but could not directly link her death to the power failure. The patient had been on a life-support system. The deaths could result in lawsuits against the hospital management and the health department for professional negligence because of the apparent failure of the hospital’s back-up power systems to kick in.
The hospital administrators declined to answer questions faxed to them this week. Officials said more time was needed to collect information on the incident. Hospital officials and two superintendents were locked in a meeting discussing the M&G’s questions, which included the exact number of deaths and steps taken to fix emergency generators. One hospital staffer said the concerned superintendents had not finalised their response at the time of going to press. This revelation comes in the week that the hospital’s management announced ambitious plans to give the Soweto hospital a facelift.
Like other hospitals in Gauteng, the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital has been battling myriad problems ranging from staffing and funding
to training and lack of facilities including ventilators. Some of the problems include unreasonable waiting times and shortages of staff, security and linen. This has led to the formation of a high- profile team this week to lift the level of services at the hospital, which is Soweto’s main health facility and one of the largest in the world. When the M&G visited the hospital doctors, nurses and patients painted a dire picture of how medical staff and electricians raced against time on the day of the power cut to save patients. Doctors said that the power cut meant a total collapse of health care services as they had to work in darkness. “It was very difficult,” said head of paediatrics Professor John Pettifor. He said medical staff had failed to perform necessary examinations on patients due to the power failure, but his unit was fortunate not to have had any casualties as no child was on a ventilator at the time. Pettifor added that one of the difficulties faced by his unit was conducting blood examinations necessary for seriously ill children who have just been admitted.