Health Dep launches probe into Wentworth Hospital after shocking video emerges
KZN Health MEC, Nomagugu-Simelane-Zulu has confirmed there'll be a probe into Durban's Wentworth Hospital after a video emerged of patients appearing in distress.
In the clip, a woman screams out for help from her bed and tells fellow patients she can't breathe.
Other patients are seen sleeping on the floor and on chairs. No nurses or doctors can be seen anywhere.
Simelane-Zulu says a team of managers from head office were sent to the facility to establish the facts, and come up with an immediate resolution.
She says the video was taken a few days before Christmas, "Management was able to establish that on the day that the video was recorded, 11 of our doctors and 17 of our nurses were in isolation. Which then meant on that particular day Wentworth hospital was under immense pressure."
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The management established a system and a plan on what happens where the majority of health workers are in isolation and we started implementing that over the weekend.
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The DA's KZN Spokesperson on Health, Rishigen Viranna says they were horrified by the video. "It paints a picture of a hospital that is completely overwhelmed. As DA we have taken this matter up with both the Health MEC and HOD to urgently intervene into this hospital and to provide further support," says Viranna.
