By Anita Dangazele
- Nearly 30 pregnant women spent three days sleeping on chairs and floors at Dora Nginza Hospital.
- The health department promised beds and more staff after videos showed expectant mothers in corridors.
Pregnant women in urgent need of caesarean section surgeries were once again forced to sleep on chairs and the floor at Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha.
Videos and photos shared on social media showed about 30 women sitting on chairs in a hospital corridor. They wore pyjamas and casual clothes, with no hospital gowns in sight.
Eastern Cape Department of Health spokesperson Siyanda Manana confirmed the department received the videos on Thursday night.
He said the provincial head of department, Dr Rolene Wagner, immediately told the hospital management to ensure all pregnant women were given beds.
Manana said, “The department is opening more wards to accommodate the patients. Ten more doctors will be assigned to the maternity unit.”
Doctors are now reviewing each case to decide who needs to be admitted, induced or taken to surgery. Some patients may be transferred to other nearby hospitals.
“To boost staff numbers while we make permanent hires over the next two weeks, we’ll use agency nurses to increase theatre and ward capacity,” Manana added.
He also claimed that at present, no expectant mothers are sleeping on chairs or on the floor.
But this is not the first time Dora Nginza Hospital has faced such complaints. There have been repeated cases of pregnant women left without proper beds.
So far, the hospital has failed to come up with a long-term fix.
Pictured above: Pregnant women on chairs at Dora Nginza Hospital.
Image source: Enough is Enough Organisation
