Hospital lacks basic medicine

DENNILTON – The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo alleges that Philadelphia Hospital in Dennilton outside Groblersdal has been without the vital Betadine solution for the past six weeks.

The DA announced that it has written to the Limpopo Health MEC, Dr Phophi Ramathuba to urgently address the lack of the solution at the health facility as well as other pressing issues raised by staff at hospital located in Moutse area within the Elias Motsoaledi Local municipality of Sekhukhune district.

According to the party the hospital has for more than six weeks not had Betadine solution, which is vital in cleaning wounds before and after operations, a situation which leads to medical staff being forced to use 70% alcohol, which is not a desired alternative.

Risham Maharaj, DA Limpopo Spokesperson for Health, said that other challenges raised included failure to maintain and repair important medical equipment such as the anesthetic machine and the blood gas machine that were currently dysfunctional and that the alleged prolonged stints of absenteeism of the CEO from the hospital were also raised.

Maharaj indicated that just two weeks, the DA carried out an oversight at Philadelphia Hospital after receiving complaints from the hospital staff that the generator had not been working for a week.

“It was completely dark in the hospital during load-shedding and it had badly affected the operating theatre, ICU, casualty, neonatal unit and mortuary fridges,” added Maharaj.

He further said that it was unacceptable and embarrassing that the hospital ran out of basic medicine like Betadine solution for such a long period and that it was also clear that there were many unresolved challenges that MEC Ramathuba and her department must intervene in and address at the hospital.

Neil Shikwambana, Limpopo Department of Health Spokesperson, the issue of lack of Betadine solution was not only Philadelphia Hospital and that it was because the supplier appointed by the national department of health could not access it in the market.

Shikwambana said: “Many of our facilities were affected. With regard to the issue of the generator at the Philadelphia Hospital, it gave in due to load-shedding, upon assessment , it was found that it could not be repaired, what happened is that we have hired a temporary generator there and it is up and running.”