The IFP calls on the MEC of Health in KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Sbongiseni Dhlomo to urgently investigate and fire the nurses at Mahatma Gandhi and Osindisweni Hospital accused of turning away an injured man who ended up losing his life.
“Misconduct, incompetence and negligence have no place in our health care system, and any person found guilty of such conduct must face drastic consequences, including dismissal. The nurses must be suspended, their actions must be investigated and if found guilty they must be fired. Lack of empathy has no place in our health care system. When people look for jobs they say they will be professional yet when they required to do so, they come up with such bull dung excuses,” said IFP KZN Spokesperson on Health, Mrs Ncamisile Nkwanyana, MPL.
“Heads need to roll here. At both hospitals examples must be made, and those responsible should never be able to get jobs as health care workers again. When the public enter the arena of health care they put their life into others’ hands. They expect high standards and professional care. We need the MEC to ensure professional conduct at all levels in the system,” continued Mrs Nkwanyana.
“Putting it bluntly we are witnessing a collapse of the professional health care sector especially in our public facilities. Professionalism seems to have gone out the door. There is a need to strengthen our voices against shoddy treatment of patients and to call for nurses to do their job effectively. Often one can describe some nurses as downright rude, obstructive and completely incompetent,” concluded Mrs Nkwanyana.
The IFP calls for urgent recommendations about how to improve care and to ensure that this sort of tragedy does not repeat itself at other hospitals. It will further pursue this matter in the KZN Legislature by submitting parliamentary questions to the MEC of Health to get answers about what measures are in place to revive the spirit of uBuntu among and what action will be taken against those nurses whose actions resulted in the loss of life.
Issued by:
Mrs Ncamisile Nkwanyana MPL, IFP Spokesperson on Health, 084 736 5183 / 078 302 3991
For Media Enquiries:
IFP KZN Provincial Legislature Media Liaison Officer, Mr Phendulani Biyase, 073 024 5675