Quick! A broom! Manto’s coming!
Zine George and Lauren Cohen Published:Aug 12, 2007

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How the hospital at the centre of the storm did a quick spruce-up before the Health minister came visiting.

The hospital that sparked an outcry over baby deaths was given a dramatic facelift nine days before Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang arrived to give it an almost clean bill of health.

Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge cited her impromptu visit to Frere Hospital in East London as a key reason for her being sacked as deputy health minister. She described the situation at the hospital as a “national emergency” on July 13.

Her visit followed a damning exposé in the Daily Dispatch, which said 2000 babies had been stillborn at Frere in the past 14 years, according to the labour ward’s abortions and stillbirth book.

The newspaper said factors allegedly leading to the deaths of hundreds of newborn babies there included:

Severe staff shortages;

A lack of vital lifesaving equipment; and

Overworked staff.

Tshabalala-Msimang sent a team, including Professor Ronnie Green-Thompson and the national Health Department’s manager for hospital services, Dr Thabo Sibeko, on July 16 to investigate conditions at the hospital. Nine days later, Tshabalala-Msimang walked into Frere Hospital, which had been hastily refurbished, and rejected claims by the Daily Dispatch that babies had died because of equipment shortages. She conceded there were staff shortages and recommended a maintenance budget increase and the replacement of six incubators.

The Sunday Times yesterday established that medical equipment, beds and even new linen had been hastily shipped into the hospital before she arrived.

An equipment register at Frere’s obstetrics and gynaecology department lists several improvements to the labour ward and theatre. They include:

Three heart monitors;

Five CTG machines, used to monitor the heart rate of unborn babies;

Six mobile machines used to check blood pressure and heart rate in adults and infants;

Nine pumps used to supply and measure fluids given to patients via a drip; and

Thirty stainless-steel refuse bins and an extension to include five extra beds.

Hospital staff, who feared victimisation if they were identified, claimed this week that medical equipment, designer chairs, curtains, bedding and even pot plants had been removed from Bhisho Hospital and Cecilia Makhiwane Hospital in Mdantsane and taken to Frere.

A well-placed source at Cecilia Makhiwane said the hospital’s medical superintendent, Dr Nokuzola Ntshona, had been informed about the removal of CTG machines only this week.

“She was not aware, not until Wednesday. No one asked for her permission to remove the machines, so this was all done without authority,” said the source.

East London Hospital Complex chief executive Vuyo Mosana strongly denied that equipment had been moved from other hospitals or purchased just for the health minister’s visit.

He said: “We can’t deny that those CTG machines and other material did arrive at the section. But this was not in preparation for the minister’s visit ...

“These CTG machines were part of a national tender that was submitted earlier and they arrived some time before the minister arrived. Yes, indeed, they were put there [in the maternity ward] prior to her [Tshabalala-Msimang’s] visit, not necessarily to hide anything but because they were available.”

But staff painted a different picture: “All this stuff is new,” said a health worker, pointing to the chairs. “Staff had to put this here just before Manto’s visit. This is all an act.”

Frere’s old curtains were sky blue and blankets navy blue. “You see these lilac duvets, they are new. Frere does not use duvets but blankets. If you see anything pink or lilac here, you must know that it’s part of the stuff that was brought in to impress Manto and the task team,” said another health worker.

“You can ask any staff member here to describe to you how Frere was on the Friday the deputy minister was here and the Sunday that Manto was here. The deputy got to see the true Frere, while Manto saw a window-dressed Frere. What is of concern to us as nurses is that infants will continue to die while politicians continue to cover for each other.”

Another said: “There’s one reason why the deputy minister [Madlala-Routledge] told a different story from that of the minister [Tshabalala-Msimang] about conditions at Frere’s maternity ward.

“It’s simple ... we were instructed to prepare for Manto’s visit, while her deputy came unannounced.”

The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa ’s Frere Hospital shop steward, Edward Maseti, said Madlala- Routledge was one of few officials to see the reality of the crisis at Frere. “We do not want people to claim things are normal when they are not. The President [Thabo Mbeki] should visit the parents whose babies died and tell them media reports about the crisis are false,” said Maseti.

Cecilia Makhiwane Hospital’s superintendent, Dr Ntshona, faces disciplinary action for writing to Mbeki, warning him that Tshabalala-Msimang had overlooked “serious deficiencies” at Frere Hospital.

Mosana said she had breached protocol by not approaching her immediate superiors first.

Daily Dispatch editor Phylicia Oppelt said the newspaper stood by its story.