NURSES LEAVE US FOR DEAD – PATIENTS

MANZINI – “We are left for dead!” These were words uttered in between sobs by Siphiwe Nkambule yesterday morning at the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital. Nkambule was one of over 50 patients who had gone for their routine medical check-up and change of bandages but nurses refused to assist them as they were locked up in a meeting to deliberate about the unavailability of protective clothing.

The senior citizen slumped into her wheelchair, wept as she narrated her ‘ordeal’ at the hospital. Nkambule said she had been given a ticket marking her patient number five upon her arrival at the hospital at about 6am. However, since that time until 11:50am, she had not been attended to. 
“I came here early because I am diabetic and they tell us not to eat before we see the doctor, but now I have been here for long hours and they are not attending to us,” Nkambule said in-between sobs.
Furthermore, she said all that she needed from the hospital was to change her bandage as she had a sore that was not healing.

However, her quest was stalled as she, together with other patients, were informed that nurses were in a meeting to demand adequate protective clothing for the novel coronavirus.
Another senior citizen seated on a bench next to Nkambule said she had also taken the first bus to the hospital in order to complete everything on time, however, given the circumstances, her efforts were in vain. Director of Health Services Dr Vusi Magagula confirmed that there were challenges experienced at the hospital. He said the concerns that were raised by the personnel at the hospital were genuine and needed all parties to engage in dialogue to formulate a resolution that would benefit all.
“The nurses don’t feel protected from what I’ve gathered. Now the challenge is that we can’t say people should not go to RFM as it is the same case in Mbabane (Government Hospital),” Dr Magagula said.

Marching

The director said he had established that nurses would be marching tomorrow (today).
This was not the first instance whereby patients were not attended to at the RFM Hospital. On Saturday and Sunday, nurses were on a go-slow at the health institution.
This was after a patient suspected to be suffering from the coronavirus was to be admitted to one of the male wards. The need to admit the patient after he was examined by doctors sent nurses on a go-slow as some of them refused to attend to him.

According to an impeccable source, the ‘go-slow’ started when the nurses received a file of the patient from one of the doctors that was inscribed ‘query coronavirus’. This, according to the source, got the nurses to minimise speed when engaging in their duties.

Instead, the source said the nurses sought audience with some of the management personnel who were on duty and expressed their fears. The fears were said to include the lack of proper gear for the nurses to deal with COVID -19 and also the lack of an isolation ward for patients suspected to be suffering from the virus.

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