WORKERS at the troubled Brits District Hospital have been threatened with dismissal as management earlier this week embarked on a witch-hunt for whistle-blowers after a Sowetan exposé about the horrific conditions at the hospital.
The national department of health this week lashed out at the hospital's management for focusing on punishing the workers, instead of solving the problems at the facility.
"It is wrong that they are being subjected to intimidation," Joe Maila, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi's spokesman, said.
"The management must use all its energy to sort out the problems at hand and stop pointing fingers.
"We will be in touch with the provincial department to assist in solving these issues."
Union representatives at the hospital did not want to comment.
On Monday, Sowetan published a report highlighting the deteriorating and appalling state of service and care for patients at this 47-bed hospital.
Since 2008 the hospital had been using prefab structures as patients' wards for servicing a population of 300,000 people.
The new hospital will officially open early next year.
Some of the allegations pertained to the shortage of essential equipment and materials, confirmed sexual harassment cases against two doctors, lack of hygiene, crammed wards and violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Sowetan witnessed children playing close to a bed where a man lay dead for 15 hours in the casualty ward.
Workers said since the story broke, the management had been interrogating staff and even threatened those who did not want to comply with dismissal.
"They have been very arrogant. They even forced some of us to write statements of the events that led to the story in the newspaper," said one worker. "The irony is that they are quick to point fingers instead of fixing the problems."
Investigators from the health department are expected to visit the facility today to probe the allegations against the hospital.
Meanwhile, labour department inspectors were at the hospital yesterday. Department spokeswoman Orpa Mathabe did not want to comment on the findings but confirmed some of the issues addressed were congestion, poor treatment of lodging mothers of sick children, staff immunisation and insulation.
North West health MEC Magome Masike was also expected to visit the hospital yesterday but did not. The province's health department spokesman Tebogo Lekgethwane said Masike's visit had been planned long before the article. Last night he said Masike would visit the hospital some time this month.
Sowetan has also learnt that the key handover ceremony which was meant to be held at the hospital on Monday had to be postponed. Lekgethwane said the postponement was due to unfinished work.
Regarding staff intimidation, he said: "We treat this as allegations for now as no employee at Brits Hospital has complained about intimidation. It has to be verified".
- sifilel@sowetan.co.za
.
.
Hospital 'points fingers instead of fixing problems'
WORKERS at the troubled Brits District Hospital have been threatened with dismissal as management earlier this week embarked on a witch-hunt for whistle-blowers after a Sowetan exposé about the horrific conditions at the hospital.
The national department of health this week lashed out at the hospital's management for focusing on punishing the workers, instead of solving the problems at the facility.
"It is wrong that they are being subjected to intimidation," Joe Maila, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi's spokesman, said.
"The management must use all its energy to sort out the problems at hand and stop pointing fingers.
"We will be in touch with the provincial department to assist in solving these issues."
Union representatives at the hospital did not want to comment.
On Monday, Sowetan published a report highlighting the deteriorating and appalling state of service and care for patients at this 47-bed hospital.
Since 2008 the hospital had been using prefab structures as patients' wards for servicing a population of 300,000 people.
The new hospital will officially open early next year.
Some of the allegations pertained to the shortage of essential equipment and materials, confirmed sexual harassment cases against two doctors, lack of hygiene, crammed wards and violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Sowetan witnessed children playing close to a bed where a man lay dead for 15 hours in the casualty ward.
Workers said since the story broke, the management had been interrogating staff and even threatened those who did not want to comply with dismissal.
"They have been very arrogant. They even forced some of us to write statements of the events that led to the story in the newspaper," said one worker. "The irony is that they are quick to point fingers instead of fixing the problems."
Investigators from the health department are expected to visit the facility today to probe the allegations against the hospital.
Meanwhile, labour department inspectors were at the hospital yesterday. Department spokeswoman Orpa Mathabe did not want to comment on the findings but confirmed some of the issues addressed were congestion, poor treatment of lodging mothers of sick children, staff immunisation and insulation.
North West health MEC Magome Masike was also expected to visit the hospital yesterday but did not. The province's health department spokesman Tebogo Lekgethwane said Masike's visit had been planned long before the article. Last night he said Masike would visit the hospital some time this month.
Sowetan has also learnt that the key handover ceremony which was meant to be held at the hospital on Monday had to be postponed. Lekgethwane said the postponement was due to unfinished work.
Regarding staff intimidation, he said: "We treat this as allegations for now as no employee at Brits Hospital has complained about intimidation. It has to be verified".
- sifilel@sowetan.co.za
.
.
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