Patients sleep on floor of Khayelitsha hospital due to lack of beds, TAC says
Khayelitsha District Hospital is in the midst of a crisis‚ picketing Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) members said on Wednesday.Western Cape chairman Vuyani Macotha said monitoring by the TAC since a parliamentary oversight visit to the six-year-old Cape Town hospital painted a picture of overcrowding‚ shortages of staff and beds and neglect of patients."Patients are sleeping on the floor of the hospital because there simply aren’t enough beds‚" said Macotha. "The hospital was built to handle 400‚000 people‚ but it is widely thought that the population of Khayelitsha is closer to two-million."Sleeping on the floor is only part of the mistreatment that patients may get … but it is emblematic of a growing problem: inattentive and inadequate care on behalf of hospital staff and management." In April‚ during a visit to the hospital by Parliament’s select committee on petitions and executive undertakings‚ ward councillor Patrick Mngxunyeni told hospital CEO Anwar Kharwa: "If there is a st...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.