One of the projects in question includes renovating the maternity ward, which has been in the spotlight recently. The spokesperson for the Provincial Department of Health, Mondli Mvambi, says a service provider has been appointed to complete the maternity ward project. The project includes maternity theatres and a neonatal unit, and its ICU. The chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), Bongani Majola, said in July 2022 the project is set to be completed within 18 months. The maternity ward has been under construction for almost a decade under different service providers. The reconstruction of the maternity ward being on halt was previously a thorny issue at the hospital, as there were allegedly only four theatre beds being shared between the surgical and maternity ward. The latter’s theatre forms part of the unfinished maternity ward, hence the sharing of beds. Earlier in the year, operations at the maternity ward were negatively affected as it flooded due to leaking pipes. Patients were then reported to have been placed in the corridors.  

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The maternity ward in question has been a headache for the hospital for some time. The ward has previously flooded due to leaking pipes. Operations were negatively affected and patients were forced to be placed across the corridors. At the time of the incident, there weren’t construction or maintenance workers to try and deal with the leaking pipes. A video shared with OFM News shows the water leaking from the roof of the hospital and flooding the maternity ward. The video also shows workers who attempted to stop the excessive flooding. It is also shown that water gushing down in at least five buckets. This video also captures moments where workers went as far as using patients' bedsheets to try and stop the water from leaking to other areas in the hospital.

Another issue that the department is giving attention to is giving the hospital a new sewerage system. Workers of the hospital have previously raised concerns about the sewage spillages at the parking lot of the hospital’s mortuary. 

Earlier in 2022, the spillages could be seen and smelled just outside the mortuary. OFM News captured a video showing what seems like clean water and sewage spillages spreading across the parking lot, seemingly unattended to. At the present time, Mvambi says the Infrastructure Chief Directorate has decided to completely redesign the sewerage system as it is old and gets blocked frequently. The process of appointing consultants for the sewerage project is under way. Mvambi also explains that some of the infrastructure at the hospital has been vandalised, including a urinal and two shower doors.  “The urinal was vandalised and was not supposed to be used. The bottle trap was stolen and it was blocked,” he adds. In respect of the two shower doors, they were found to have been removed from their frames. But since then, the department has unblocked and cleaned the urinal, and the shower doors have been repaired.

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He further explains that the Trauma Centre has a total of 31 toilets. As of 19 September 2022, 22 toilets were operational, these are evenly spread throughout the unit. However, nine toilets are not functional and some of the causes include vandalism. The procurement process for the replacement parts is currently under way and the repair process will unfold once the spare parts have been received, as the request for quotations closed on Wednesday 21 September 2022. 

As far as lifts in the hospital are concerned, Mvambi says that a Service Provider has been appointed for the running and maintenance of the lifts as per Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. All lifts were assessed and a status report was developed. The necessary spare parts for the non-functional lifts have been ordered. Each block has a minimum of two functional lifts, except for the H Block, with one of the two that is functional. When it comes to the functionality of equipment within Pelonomi, the Clinical Engineering Department has a maintenance plan for the equipment as per the manufacturers' specifications. Over and above this, rounds are made by the chosen team to inspect medical equipment at the Trauma and Casualty Units every Friday. Reports on findings and/or interventions are provided to the unit. Departments are also requested to annually submit equipment needs. The inputs received are then discussed in the Equipment Committee for prioritisation in line with the available budget. These meetings are attended by the Heads of the Clinical Unit and area managers. This was the process followed to develop this year’s acquisition plan to the tune of R52.2 million.

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17 August 2022 saw a new ward at the hospital being opened. Mvambi at the time said the hospital is ready to move mental health patients out of the medical ward where medical patients have been mixed with mental health patients. The newly opened ward is solely for psychiatric patients and will ensure that all patients and staff are safe. “The modification of the ward in Pelonomi is complete. We couldn’t take occupation due to the smell of paint, because the people have worked over the weekend to install the burglar proofs, fix the walls, and do every other thing that needed to be done to upgrade the unused space into an acceptable ward that patients can move into. So patients will be moved in on Wednesday (17 August 2022) when that smell of paint will be gone, and all other safety measures and safety of occupancy would be guaranteed.”

OFM News