DA KZN: Doctors perform Caesarean by torchlight as hospital generator fails to kick in

15 April 2015

The Democratic Alliance has been reliably informed that the standby generator at EG and Usher Memorial Hospital in Kokstad is again broken, with doctors forced to perform a Caesarean section by torchlight on Monday night after load-shedding was implemented.

According to our professional source, the entire hospital and operating theatre was plunged into darkness after the emergency generator failed to kick in.

A broken generator is an ongoing problem at this hospital, with DA MPL and political head for the Harry Gwala district, Francois Rodgers raising the matter on numerous occasions. 

Yet it appears that the KZN Health department is unable to find a solution to the problem. This is unacceptable. 

EG and Usher Memorial Hospital seems to lurch from one disaster to another – first it was food and linen shortages for patients, now lives are being endangered during ESKOM’s load shedding.

The DA has previously been assured by KZN’s Health MEC, Sibongiseni Dhlomo, that regular maintenance and inspections are undertaken and that all emergency generators at hospitals in the province are functioning.

It would appear that what department officials are claiming and what is actually happening on the ground are two different things.

I will today write to the MEC to request that the maintenance and running records of the emergency generator at Usher Memorial Hospital are made available to the DA. I have also written to the ombudsman, calling for an investigation.

The DA expects the MEC to urgently establish what is happening at this hospital and report back.

He must also ensure that there are consequences and actions taken against those responsible for ensuring the smooth-running of this hospital.

Statement issued by Dr Imran Keeka, MPL, DA KZN Spokesperson on Health, April 15 2015