The Health Department says the Eastern Cape’s Frere Hospital maintenance budget must be drastically increased.
In a statement released on Sunday, the department recommended that the maintenance budget be increased to R35-million, or 5% of the hospital’s total budget. It was currently R3,5-million.
A task team was appointed to investigate the hospital after 43 babies born at the hospital died in the last month.
A total of 2 000 babies were stillborn in the past 14 years at the hospital, according to the ”abortions and stillbirth book” in the labour ward.
The team’s investigation found that the maternity unit, neonatal unit and neonatal intensive care unit were understaffed.
During an unannounced visit to one 32-bed ward, the task team found just one professional nurse and one nursing assistant on duty.
There was also an urgent need to increase the number of porters, messengers, general assistants and clerical staff at the hospital.
”This would help ensure that clinical staff can focus on what they have been trained to do.”
The electronic nurse-calling system — which is broken — also had to be replaced.
”Basic equipment was available and interviews with the clinical staff and hospital management indicated that no baby has died as a result of the non-availability of equipment,” the statement said.
The hospital had to replace six of its 18 incubators. It was also recommended that elbow-operated taps and additional hand-washing basins be installed to aid infection control.
The findings also stated that the number of unnecessary referrals to the hospital had to be reduced, so that the staff could concentrate on high-risk patients.
The department said anyone with information about inappropriate care at the hospital should contact the Health Professionals Council of South Africa or the South African Nursing Council. – Sapa