A young learner’s harrowing experience at Steve Biko Hospital exposes the grim state of South Africa’s healthcare system, raising urgent calls for reform and compassion in medical care.

Soddy Kekana, a Grade 11 student from Rietvlei Academy, was forced to endure an agonizing eight-day wait for surgery following injuries to both of his knees that happened earlier this month.

Carinda Habig, principal at Rietvlei Academy, recounted the emotional and distressing scene upon their arrival at the hospital. Instead of solace, she and Kekana were met with chaos, a harrowing sight characterized by patients in dire conditions.

It is revealed that the first night in the facility, Kekana was left without basic necessities.

“At first, they didn't want to let me in, and I pleaded with them to see the child.”

“There was a guy that was bleeding terribly from his nose. And I am not talking about a little bit of blood; I am talking about buckets full of blood. Just across the room from where he was sitting, a girl was lying with her head totally cut open. I just wanted Soddy not to see all of this because it is a traumatic situation. There was a bed open, and now Soddy was sitting for hours on that hard bench with legs that he could not bend,” she said.

Habig revealed he was injured and received no pillow or blanket, forcing him to spend hours on a cold, hard bench with legs he could not bend.

The principal described the nightmarish conditions: “He told us that he did not sleep well. It was heartbreaking.”

During their week-long wait, Kekana only received scant updates on his condition, and each passing day raised questions about the hospital's prioritization of care. “They said they were working around the clock to try and save lives, and Soddy was not on the ‘red list’. There are three lists. But why wasn’t anyone communicating with us during those eight days?” questioned Habig in despair.

The concerns deepened as they observed the plight of other patients, including children with disabilities, who were left helpless on hard benches, waiting for their turn to receive medical attention.

“The first time I went into that hospital, I was crying because there were so many disabled children just sitting in their wheelchairs, some of them sleeping on hard benches outside. It is not fair for anyone, let alone a disabled child, to endure such suffering.”

After days of uncertainty, Kekana finally underwent surgery on the eighth day of his hospital stay. Fortunately, he is now on the mend and has been instructed to return to the hospital on April 8 for follow-up care.

Amid this chaos, the realities of the healthcare system began to elicit wider concerns.

The civil society movement “We Are South Africans” weighed in, emphasizing that the dire state of hospitals across the nation puts immense pressure on healthcare practitioners. They noted ongoing issues with unpaid suppliers, resulting in hospitals providing little more than basic pain relief to patients.

“Our hospitals are in a terrible state and it is putting our doctors and nurses under severe pressure. We have noted that businesses are not being paid that supply the hospitals in recent articles and for most situations all the hospitals gives state patients are Panados. It concerns us for the mental wellbeing of the doctors and nurses, but also explains the level of service being low and we are concerned that the government has no idea just how much pressure the NHI is going to add on this already fragile and very broken health system. A new sustainable approach needs to be taken to our public healthcare systems,” the movement stated.

Saturday Star

anita.nkonki@inl.co.za