NUPSAW STRONGLY CONDEMNS THE SYSTEMIC NEGLIGENCE AND INHUMANE CONDITIONS PREVALENT IN MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES IN THE NORTHERN CAPE
The National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW) is deeply disturbed by the findings of the Health Ombuds’ investigation into the deaths and suffering of psychiatric patients at the Northern Cape Mental Health Hospital (NCMHH) and Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital (RMSH). The report reveals gross mismanagement, infrastructure collapse, and a total breakdown of leadership and accountability, which confirms our longstanding warnings about the deteriorating state of public healthcare our country.
The deaths of Mr. Cyprian Mohoto and Mr. Tshepo Mdimbaza, along with the critical conditions of other patients, were not accidents but the direct result of a system that has collapsed under the weight of incompetence, austerity, and corruption. Patients were subjected to extreme cold, malnutrition, lack of medication, and total neglect. One patient died from pneumonia without receiving basic treatment. Another died from hypothermia due to the absence of heating and proper clothing. The fact that resuscitation equipment was unavailable and non-functional underscores the cruelty and incompetence of the management in the institution.
The report further exposes horrifying details: wards without electricity or phones for a year, severe staff shortages, no vital signs monitoring, broken infrastructure, sewage leaks, and a lack of linen and emergency equipment. NCMHH, a specialized psychiatric facility, operated without protocols, adequate medical staffing, or basic tools for patient care. Meanwhile, hospital managers were instructed to take a coordinated “stance” before interviews with the Ombuds. This shows a deliberate effort to cover up their wrongdoing.
To us as NUPSAW the findings of the health Ombuds does not come as a surprise. The public protector’s latest damning report into the appalling conditions and maladministration at Dora Nginza Regional Hospital in Gqeberha also exposed similar conditions of neglect, and dereliction of duty that have severely compromised the health and dignity of both patients and health workers. These range from overcrowded maternity wards where mothers are forced to sleep on chairs, to the shocking lack of privacy during consultations, and gross inadequate medical equipment and staff.
The health Ombuds’ investigations highlighted a total disregard for the dignity and lives of the most vulnerable in our society. They also reveal the cost of sustained underfunding, cadre deployment without competence, and the failure of provincial and national health leadership to take action in crucial moments.
NUPSAW therefore demands immediate dismissal and criminal investigation of all officials responsible for the gross negligence that led to patient deaths. We further demand the implementation of the Ombuds’ recommendations, the urgent repair and resourcing of all affected facilities, and a national forensic audit of mental health infrastructure across provinces.
We have over the years warned against austerity measures and its dire impact on the public health institutions. Austerity has over the years resulted in erosion of essential healthcare infrastructure, under staffing and declining service delivery as workers are under severe pressure. As we grapple with the ever rising unemployment, poverty, we are also subjected to the rot that has strained the public health system and affecting poor communities…Enough is enough!!
THE WORKERS FIRST!!!!
~ENDS~
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