Psychiatric patients can't wash at Joburg Hospital

9 May 2017

Psychiatric patients at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital cannot bath or shower at the Psychiatric ward because the water leaks into other wards.

The washing facilities at Ward 487 are barred to 20 psychiatric patients who are forced to use basins or go to another ward to clean up.

Patients have endured this unacceptable situation for about three months, but hospital management has failed to fix the problem.

I have complained before about the unsuitable conditions at this ward which is drab and depressing, and male and female patients are not properly separated.

I was told last year by former Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu that a new 40-bed psychiatric ward would be completed in September last year at a cost of about R10 million.

The new ward should have been completed six years ago but has been delayed because of problems with contractors and incorrect tender specifications.

This incredible incompetence needs to stop otherwise the new ward will never be finished and patients will continue to suffer in the old ward.

It is really shocking that water leaks have not been stopped at this flagship hospital which recently had a roof collapse that endangered lives.

Meanwhile, Gauteng Infrastructure MEC Jacob Mamabolo dithers in releasing a report into the roof collapse which was promised by the end of March.

I am going to report this latest infringement of the rights of psychiatric patients to the Health Ombudsman who played such a crucial role in uncovering the deaths of more than 100 Esidimeni psychiatric patients sent to unsuitable NGOs.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 9 May 2017