Not a single clinic or public hospital inspected by the Health Ombudsman in Nelson Mandela Bay was found to be compliant with standards set for health establishments.
This is according to a report released by the Office for Health Standards Compliance.
Its officials did not visit the four big state hospitals in the area – Livingstone, Dora Nginza, Port Elizabeth Provincial and Uitenhage Provincial.
To be fully compliant with health standards, a facility must score at least 80%.
The officials visited the tuberculosis facility in New Brighton, Empilweni Hospital, which scored 60% – the highest of all the health facilities in the metro.
This score indicates the hospital’s standards have improved.
The worst-performing clinics in the metro were the Kwazakhele Clinic (34% compliant), Central Clinic at Port Elizabeth’s Provincial Hospital (34% compliant) and Veeplaas Clinic (37% compliant.)
Clinics with scores this low were described in the report as “critically non-compliant” and in urgent need of intensive intervention with disciplinary steps.
Limpopo and the Eastern Cape scored the lowest countrywide, with an average of just 43% compliance across all health facilities.
In the report, Health Ombudsman Professor Malegapuru Makgoba said improving on compliance rates should be an absolute priority for the national Department of Health.
Some of the areas of concern highlighted in the Eastern Cape, included that:● There were no records available to describe actions taken where patients were abused or alleged abuse;
● Consent forms were not completed correctly;
● The policy for emergency resuscitation was not available;
● In some hospitals in the province there were no isolation facilities for infectious and communicable diseases;
● Policies, procedures and isolation facilities for patients with infectious and communicable diseases, including standard precautions, prevention and control, were not available;
● Medical devices were not maintained to ensure safety and availability;
● There was no evidence that the health facilities that were inspected had a zero-tolerance policy on violence and abuse against staff or included trauma counselling and support; and
● There was no documented evidence that critical clinical areas were supplied with emergency power without delay in the event of disruption, including an electrical power logbook and inspection sheets. There was also no recording of regular functional piped medical gas and vacuum systems.
Eastern Cape health department spokesman Lwandile Sicwethsa said officials were studying the report.
These are the scores for the Nelson Mandela Bay health facilities:
● Empilweni TB Hospital 60% ● Gelvandale Clinic 50% ● Booysens Park Clinic 49% ● Algoa Park Clinic 47% ● Motherwell NU8 Clinic 47% ● Wells Estate Clinic 47% ● New Brighton Clinic 46% ● Zwide Clinic 46% ● Helenvale Clinic 45% ●14th Avenue Clinic, Walmer, 45% ● Veeplaas Clinic 37% ● Central Clinic (at Port Elizabeth’s Provincial Hospital) 34%
● Kwazakhele Clinic 34%