Patients wait two days to be seen at George Mukhari Hospital

7 January 2016

I have received a shocking report about overcrowding and delays for patients at the casualty section of George Mukhari Hospital in the north west of Gauteng.

Former DA Member of Parliament George Boinamo took his ill sister-in-law to the hospital yesterday at 4pm. He had to fight with doctors to get her to have an x-ray some four hours later and then had to remonstrate again with staff to get a porter to take her back to the casualty.

He was told by a doctor that some patients had been at the casualty for two days, and himself saw patients who had not been seen by a doctor since arriving at 8 am on Saturday morning.

Boinamo says there are more than 50 patients at the casualty on stretchers with relatives who have been waiting with them all through the night.

This is an unacceptable situation at this hospital which is one of four academic hospitals in Gauteng that should maintain a high standard.

Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu is currently being treated at the George Mukhari Hospital after she took ill on Wednesday while visiting sites in Pretoria.

She is due to be discharged soon, and should investigate the terrible situation at the casualty section.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 7 January 2016