Outrage as pregnant patients sleep on floor

PREGNANT women are being treated on mattresses on the floor of Port Elizabeth's Dora Nginza Hospital due to a chronic shortage of hospital beds.

The crisis has been caused by an increase in patients from the rural areas due to the collapse of basic health care there.

Eastern Cape Health Department spokesman Siyanda Manana said the "floor beds" were "the only solution to a desperate situation".

But the Eastern Cape Health Crisis Coalition's Kwazi Mbatha said it was a violation of patients' rights. -