By Anita Dangazele
- A letter at Livingstone Hospital says doctor shortages have forced the closure of outpatient clinics.
- The health department says the letter is unofficial, but admits the province has stopped hiring new doctors.
Outpatient clinics at Livingstone Hospital in Gqeberha have shut down, according to a letter written by someone inside the hospital.
The letter was not signed, but it claimed there are not enough doctors to treat patients and that services are now badly affected.
This follows weeks of complaints on social media from people saying they were being sent home without help.
Initially, the Eastern Cape health department said the letter was fake. But later, department spokesperson Siyanda Manana said they are now investigating who wrote it.
He said only the acting CEO, Ms Notshe, can make such decisions. He noted that the letter appeared just days after the health minister and the premier visited the area.
They visited following the circulation of a video showing pregnant women lying on the floor at Dora Nginza Hospital.
The department has since hired 10 new doctors and addressed some problems with beds and nurses. However, Manana blamed the letter on people who want to cause trouble at the hospital.
Still, many patients are complaining that they are not getting help and are being turned away.
Manana said those patients should speak to the hospital CEO.
Democratic Alliance health spokesperson Jane Cowley said the situation is a disaster.
She said the provincial government has stopped hiring new doctors even though more and more patients need help.
“This collapse comes just weeks after the ANC-led government rejected a DA plan to deal with long surgery backlogs,” she said.
Livingstone Hospital has over 1,300 people on its waiting list, but only 48 can be treated each day.
Pictured above: Livingstone Hospital in Korsten, Gqeberha.
Image source: File
