Promising development at overwhelmed Dora Nginza maternity unit

Finally, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel for expectant mothers from around the Eastern Cape who use Dora Nginza Hospital’s maternity unit. The recruitment of dozens of nurses to ease staff shortages in maternity wards at Nelson Mandela Bay’s public hospitals was set to begin this week.

For the longest time now, The Herald has been covering the recurring problem at the Zwide hospital where some pregnant women come from as far as Graaff-Reinet, Cradock and Port Alfred for assistance. 

Dora Nginza is the only public hospital in Nelson Mandela Bay that can accept referrals from the western regions of the province.

But the hospital has been battling a never-ending cycle of staff and theatre equipment shortages, resulting previously in a backlog in C-section deliveries. 

Several times over the last few years we have seen pictures of heavily pregnant women sleeping on chairs as they await treatment.

In one incident, a young doctor recalled how he had tried to resuscitate a woman for two hours.

She died along with her unborn baby.

We have read how even after giving birth mothers had nowhere else to sleep but on thin mattresses on the floor — with their newborn babies. 

Last week, again, the maternity unit was overwhelmed by the number of pregnant women who were forced to find space in the corridors.

The women barged into the CEO’s office and occupied it, demanding to be allocated beds.

Images of women lying on floors and slumped on chairs prompted hospital management to move them to the Port Elizabeth Provincial and Uitenhage Provincial hospitals.

Eastern Cape health department spokesperson Yonela Dekeda confirmed that 29 patients had to be transferred to nearby hospitals.

However, she did not respond to questions about the number of nurses being recruited, additional doctors and the budget made available for the recruitment.

We hope that does not mean they will dither and delay when it comes to the appointment of the much-needed staff.

Pregnancy and the birthing process is meant to be one of the most beautiful and memorable events in a woman’s life, but for the patients at Dora Nginza, it has become a nightmare — a dehumanising experience and no way in which to bring a new life into the world.

This needs to change and additional staff will go a long way towards improving conditions.

HeraldLIVE