Safety of patients at EC hospitals not guaranteed

Despite staff and patients having been threatened in the past, it is remarkably easy to gain access to the hospitals of the Eastern Cape without being stopped by security guards.

Last year, an attacker armed with a knife “finished off” a patient at All Saints hospital in Ngcobo, stabbing the patient to death.

During a month-long investigation into the state of health care in the province, DispatchLIVE, armed with a small knife, entered the same hospital and headed straight to the main building, where we spoke freely with patients.

At Hewu hospital in Whittlesea, where there is a warning sign next to the security boom gate, people walk in and out without being checked by the security guards. The same is true for Umlamli Hospital in Sterkspruit, where vehicles can drive in and out of the premises without being checked, let alone searched.

At Canzibe, our reporters roamed around the hospital premises.

Some of the staff quarters were literally dwarfed by grass and there was no security fence.

DA councillor Thembile Daniel, who is a PR councillor for Ngcobo municipality, said the situation at the hospital was extremely concerning.

“We cannot have a hospital that supports thousands of people with no proper security. Walking into that hospital without being searched tells you that our patients in these hospitals are vulnerable and that's dangerous,” said Daniel.

At Holy Cross in Flagstaff, staff, including nurses, live in parkhomes in an area that is not fenced.

“I just hope that nothing will happen as we are not safe at all. There's no perimeter fencing and thugs walk anywhere between these parkhomes. We could be raped here. It's worse in winter,” said a nurse.

Only at Empilisweni in Sterkspruit did a security guard question a reporter about who he was visiting before he was allowed ready access.

While getting a box of expired medication from the health depot in Mthatha, the team easily drove through without being searched by guards at the main entrance to the complex, comprising the Mthatha General and Nelson Mandela Academic Hospitals.