ELECTRONIC PATIENT SYSTEM STILL NOT WORKING AT NEW NATALSPRUIT HOSPITAL

Patients at the new Natalspruit Hospital in Vosloorus face delays and inconvenience because the paperless electronic patient system has still not been implemented properly.

I discovered this yesterday when I visited there and spoke to patients who complained that every time they came they had to re-register on the electronic system because it did not record their previous details.

This is a major flaw that I had hoped would be fixed after my previous visit in October last year when hospital management said it was a teething problem.

It seems that staff have still not been trained to use the electronic system, so it slows things down instead of speeding it up. There have also been a spate of staff resignations because of the pressure of patient numbers.

Many patients said that service was better at the old Natalspruit Hospital.

This is a sad observation as R1.7 billion was spent on the new hospital which is a magnificent facility.

Hospital management needs to improve soon so that patients get decent care without lengthy delays.

Statement issued by Jack Bloom MPL, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, January 8 2014

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