Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government
GAUTENG HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSE TO THE DP STATEMENT ON FAR EAST RAND HOSPITAL (FERH)
Since the health services were deracialised there has been an optimal utilization of there services by the majority of the people who were bared from using these services. As the result, the average occupancy was often in excess of 80%.
We acknowledge the current high occupancy. Patients may have to wait for a bid on transfer. However, it is not usual to find patients at casualty lying for up to 24 hours on trolleys before they are treated. The department is certainly not aware of incidents to this effect
There is always a Director or Chief Director available 7 days a week and 24hrs a day from the Head Office to handle all emergencies. All emergency services are notified when no beds available and patients are then directed to other hospitals in the area. Several patients from Daveyton And Etwatwa area prefer to use FERH instead of Tambo Memorial Hospital, which is their designated hospital
All surgery is done at FERH to prevent duplication of scarce resources, especially anaesthetists. The Structural Transformation Plan (STP) provides for more doctors and nurses at Pholosong hospital. This will certainly relieve pressure on FERH. It is a well accepted practice the world-over to discharge uncomplicated maternity cases. Those cases which show signs of complications are kept on transferred to academic medical institutions for care.
As the result of the bad planning by the former government all the Regional hospital have a shortage of major specialities and one of the main aims of the STP is to address this. The FERH organogram proposal should not be seen in isolation, but in the background of more staff at Pholosong and Primary Health Care facilities in the districts.
The Department invited proposals for public/private partnerships. Interested parties made their presentations and these proposal are currently under consideration.
For More information Please contact Popo Maja at 011-355-3543 or 082 373 1169