The mentally ill patients in wards at the Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital (DGMAH) in Tshwane are suffering abuse as they are crammed into crumbling and cramped wards.
This is despite a completed business plan handed to the Gauteng Department of Health Head of Department in 2022, which has not been approved. The plan provides for the upgrading of existing wards and facilities and the building of new wards. The upgrades will improve the dignity and well-being of their patients.
This deplorable situation was revealed to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature Health and Wellness Portfolio Committee during a focused intervention study on mental health facilities following an oversight visit to the hospital recently. The visit was hosted by the hospital CEO, Dr Godfrey Mbara, in the presence of his hospital management team and representatives of the Tshwane District Health Services.
Infrastructure challenges that should have been fixed have been left unattended for years. In the dining area where patients and staff must eat their meals, there are five tables crammed into a small room. Patients carry plastic chairs from one room to another because there are not enough chairs available. The sink is hanging on by a thread.
The wards where patients sleep are cramped, and there are three per room, where they should comfortably sleep two. This is deeply concerning because the number of patients accommodated in this state facility is staggering, and the conditions under which the staff operate are far from ideal.
The catchment population for all disciplines accommodated by this hospital, including mental health cases, is 1.7 million people from Tshwane, Limpopo and Northwest. These are both acutely mentally ill and stable cases. In addition, Weskoppies Mental Hospital sends its overflow patients to George Mukhari when they have patients needing to be discharged.
Adding to these dire conditions is the fact that, despite the Gauteng Health Department declaring that the moratorium on staff appointments has been lifted, there is a current shortage in the mental health department of 30 professional nurses and 25 enrolled nurses, as well as additional critical posts, including registrars and medical officers. There are no psychiatric medical officers at the hospital. Staff appointments can only be made according to grades and with the HOD’s sign-off.
The DA in Gauteng will continue to demand accountability from Premier Panyaza Lesufi and push for the removal of the Health MEC, Nomanto Nkomo-Ralehoko, and the Head of Department, Arnold Lesiba Malotana. These appointees continue to escape unscathed in a department that is rocked by one scandal after another. We will table questions to ascertain when the business plan will be considered and when the staff shortages will be addressed.
We refuse to allow the residents of Gauteng to be faced with the potential of another mental health crisis because of a lack of accountability and action on the part of the Premier, his MEC and the Head of Department. The citizens of Gauteng deserve dignity, respect and caring, particularly the mentally ill patients, something only a DA-led government has proven it can provide.