A MORTUARY with decomposing bodies, dysfunctional fridges and unhygienic patient wards.
These are the scenes that greet visitors at Rob Ferreira Hospital in Mbombela, Mpumalanga.
Yesterday, community safety, security and liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe described the situation as "unAfrican".
Hundreds of employees at the hospital downed tools last week over overtime pay that has not been settled, lack of equipment, cleaning materials and uniforms.
"The situation is not up to standard. I have been inside and what I saw is bad. The situation is not right," Shongwe said.
Workers took Sowetan on a tour of the hospital.
On the third floor, this reporter was greeted by a horrible stench.
Sowetan was shown a corpse that had been lying unattended since the beginning of the week.
"We do not know the sex of the patient but the body has been there since Monday. It is starting to decompose as you can smell," said an employee who asked to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation.
In the mortuary, fridges were not working. Some had doors that would not close but there were bodies inside.
Another employee said: "This is a situation we face every day. I am always sick because of this unhygienic place. If fridges here were working properly, I would not get infections. I have to come in here every day and it poses a health risk."
The employees also pointed out a thermometer that had gone over the red mark, indicating that mortuary fridges were not working.
"If the fridges were working, the [thermometer] bar would be on the blue side," an employee working in the section explained.
Shongwe and health MEC Gillion Mashego were yesterday dispatched from the executive council cabinet lekgotla held in Skukuza to try and normalise the situation.
Mashego asked striking workers to allow the government time to consult cabinet on the matter.
"The issue of uniforms, we will ensure that by Friday [tomorrow] all service providers have received orders," said Mashego.
But it was Shongwe who saved the day by convincing workers to return to work.
The MEC said a meeting would be convened with the workers on December 12 to give feedback on what had been done and what was outstanding.
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
Rob Ferreira Hospital in dire, filthy state
A MORTUARY with decomposing bodies, dysfunctional fridges and unhygienic patient wards.
These are the scenes that greet visitors at Rob Ferreira Hospital in Mbombela, Mpumalanga.
Yesterday, community safety, security and liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe described the situation as "unAfrican".
Hundreds of employees at the hospital downed tools last week over overtime pay that has not been settled, lack of equipment, cleaning materials and uniforms.
"The situation is not up to standard. I have been inside and what I saw is bad. The situation is not right," Shongwe said.
Workers took Sowetan on a tour of the hospital.
On the third floor, this reporter was greeted by a horrible stench.
Sowetan was shown a corpse that had been lying unattended since the beginning of the week.
"We do not know the sex of the patient but the body has been there since Monday. It is starting to decompose as you can smell," said an employee who asked to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation.
In the mortuary, fridges were not working. Some had doors that would not close but there were bodies inside.
Another employee said: "This is a situation we face every day. I am always sick because of this unhygienic place. If fridges here were working properly, I would not get infections. I have to come in here every day and it poses a health risk."
The employees also pointed out a thermometer that had gone over the red mark, indicating that mortuary fridges were not working.
"If the fridges were working, the [thermometer] bar would be on the blue side," an employee working in the section explained.
Shongwe and health MEC Gillion Mashego were yesterday dispatched from the executive council cabinet lekgotla held in Skukuza to try and normalise the situation.
Mashego asked striking workers to allow the government time to consult cabinet on the matter.
"The issue of uniforms, we will ensure that by Friday [tomorrow] all service providers have received orders," said Mashego.
But it was Shongwe who saved the day by convincing workers to return to work.
The MEC said a meeting would be convened with the workers on December 12 to give feedback on what had been done and what was outstanding.
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
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