The IFP in KwaZulu-Natal has called on the Department of Health to install CCTV cameras in all hospital precincts following the death of a patient at Port Shepstone Hospital who killed himself inside the hospital using a drip.
“We believe that manpower is not sufficient to monitor the safety of patients. Such incidents usually take place in secluded areas of hospitals and security persons cannot watch every nook and corner. Incidents of patients committing suicide are an indication of the high stress levels and states of depression that patients are faced with. There is a need to revamp the administrative mechanism to stop such incidents happening in our hospitals. The installation of CCTV cameras will be an added advantage to address the problem,” said IFP Spokesperson on Health, Mrs Ncamisile Nkwanyana, MPL.
“The IFP questioned the provincial health department’s commitment to keeping patients and health-care workers safe. This latest incident makes us believe that the department has not learnt from the previous tragic circumstances surrounding the deaths of patients at Addington and RK Khan Hospitals. This further raises questions of responsibility and accountability on the part of health care professionals charged with caring for patients,” continued Mrs Nkwanyana.
“In 2011 after the death of Durban Senzosenkosi Mkhize who was fatally stabbed in the chest by a patient in Mpumalanga Hospital, the KZN Department of Health pledged to conduct a safety audit in the province’s more than 75 hospitals and clinics. It appointed a team of eleven security co-ordinators to conduct audits and now we demand that the MEC of Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo must provide us with a detailed report containing outcomes of that audit,” concluded Mrs Nkwanyana.
The IFP calls on the Department of Health to urgently investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the patient at Port Shepstone Hospital and anyone found to be negligent must be fired. We convey our sincere condolences to the bereaved family and encourage them to file a wrongful death claim against the department of health if there was negligence.
