Health committee members say staff shortages, delay in repair project impacting Durban hospitals. Durban - Staff shortages and the impact it has on patients receiving care was observed at Prince Mshiyeni Hospital last week by members of the Health Portfolio Committee who were conducting oversight visits to health facilities in the province. Committee members from the provincial legislature who visited Prince Mshiyeni and RK Khan Hospitals said it was disheartening to see frail and elderly patients waiting in long lines. What we saw there was terrible and there is no way to hide it. The overflow of patients and testimony of those waiting is just not acceptable, said committee chairperson Nomakiki Majola of what she saw at Prince Mshiyeni. She added that while the department was rolling out the e-filing system, there appeared to be not enough staff to capture patient information at the hospital when they visited. In addition, the committee was informed that a R45 million project by the Public Works Department to repair a leaking roof at RK Khan Hospital had not taken place, leading to the transfer of some patients to Clairwood Hospital, which was also battling to cope with the load. More on this Delight for parents as two-year-old Durban girl hears for the first time Alarm raised over teen pregnancy in KZN Health MEC unpacks KZNs HIV and TB challenge, urges people to get tested The observations have prompted the committee to seek an urgent meeting with KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane. Unions said under-staffing in hospitals was nothing new. Ntokozo Nxumalo, KZN deputy chairperson of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union, said they had been raising the issue of under-staffing at Prince Mshiyeni hospital for years. What is happening at Prince Mshiyeni Hospital is found in most public health-care facilities in the province. What the committee members saw last week is something that has been experienced for years, and something that we have raised a number of times, said Nxumalo. He said addressing staff shortages also demanded a level of political will on the part of the government. KZN chairperson of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa, Sibonelo Cele, also called into question the political will on the part of the departments leadership in dealing with staff shortages at Prince Mshiyeni. He noted that the hospital had one of the largest intakes of patients in the province, something which he said presented opportunities to lobby for funding. The fact that the hospital has patients who have been referred to it by other hospitals, with some patients coming from as far as the Eastern Cape, and is only second to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, means there is room to lobby the National Treasury to provide funding that will go towards getting more staff, he said. On the other hand, Cele said the problems at RK Khan Hospital reflected the slow pace of the Public Works Department in doing its work. DA committee member Edwin Baptie said the visits had exposed the glaring weaknesses and lamented the failure to deal with repair projects. Today, some four years later, the work has barely commenced. The impact of this failed project has left the hospital short of four wards, two theatres and about 170 beds. Patients had to be moved to Clairwood Hospital and others accommodated in the outpatients department, Baptie said. IFP committee member Thokozile Gumede said under-staffing at Prince Mshiyeni showed that there was a need to have another health facility in uMlazi because the population that was serviced had grown rapidly. Majola indicated that following their findings they would call for a meeting with the department, along with Public Works, as soon as there was a slot in the KZN Legislature schedule. Health Department spokesperson Ntokozo Maphisa said the implementation of the e-filing process involved the overhaul of the departments entire system, and it was a work in process, adding that challenges were expected when rolling out such a project. It is worth noting that Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital caters for an extremely large catchment area, and is among the countrys biggest hospitals, which may lead to technical challenges from time to time, which forces us to use the manual system, he added. According to the spokesperson, the roof repairs at RK Khan Hospital, which had begun, stalled because the contractor could not finish the work and had abandoned the site. He said the department was in the process of appointing another contractor

Heath committee members say staff shortages, delay in repair project impacting Durban hospitals. Durtan - Staff shortages and the impact has on pafents receiving care was abeerved at Prince Mshiyeni Hospical last week by members of the Healh Porffolio Commitlee who were conducting oversight visis to healith facilites in fre province. Commitee members fom the provincial legislature who visited Prince Mshiyeni and RK Khan Hospitas said it was disheartening to see frail and elderly patients wahing in long ines. What we saw there was terrible and there is no way to hide it. The overfow of patients and testimony of those waing is just not acceptable," said commitiee chairperson Nomakiki Majola of what she saw at Prince Mshiyeri. She sdded that while the deparmment was roling out the e-fing system, there appeared to be not enough staff to capture pafent informafon at fhe hospital when they visited. In additon, the cormmitee was informed that a R45 milion project by the Public Works Department to repair a leaking roof at RK Khan Hospital had not taken place, leading to the transfer of some paients to Clairwood Hospital, which was also batfing to cope with the load. More an this Delight for parents as two-year old Durban girl hears for the frst lime Alarm raised over teen pregnancy in KZZN Healh MEC unpacks KZN's HIV and TB chalenge, urges people to get tested The obsenafors have prompted the commitiee to seek an urgent meeting with KZN Healh MEC Nomagugu Simelane. Urions ssid under-staffing in hospitals was nothing new. Niokoazo Noxumalo, KZN deputy chaiperson of the Nafional Education, Health and Alied Workers' Union, said they had been raising the issue of under-stafing at Prince Mshiyeni hospital for years. What is happening at Prince Mshiyeni Hospital is found in most public health-care facilites in the province. What the committee members saw last week is something that has been experienced for years, and something that we have raised a number of fimes," said Noxumalo. He said addressing staff shortages also demanded a level of poltical wil on the part of the govemment. KZN disiperson of the Democrafic Nursing Organisabion of South Afica, Sbonelo Cele, also called into question the polfical will on the port of the department's leadership in dealing with staf shortsges at Prince Mshiyeni. He noted that the hospital had one of the largest intakes of pabents in the province, someting which he said presented opporturifes to labby for funding. The fact that he hospial has pafents who hove been referred to it by other hospitals, with some pafients coming from as far as the Eastem Cape, and is cnly second to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, mears fhere is room to lobby the Natonal Treasury to provide funding that, will go towards getfing more staff," he stid. On the ofher hand, Cele said the problems at RKK Khan Hospital reflected the slow pace of the Public Works Department in doing its work. DA committee member Edwin Bapie said the visits had exposed the glaring weaknesses and lamented the falure to deal with repair projects. 'Today, some four years later, the work has barely commenced. The impact of this faled project has let the hospical short of four wards, two theatres and about 170 beds. "Pafients had to be moved to Clairwood Hospital and others acoommodated in the oupofients department," Bapfe said. IFP committee menter Thokovile Gumede said under-staffing at Prince Mshiyeni showed that there was a reed to have another heath facility in uMari because fhe population fat was serviced had grown rapidy. Majola indicated that following their findings they would cal for a meeting with the department, along with Public Works, as soon as there was a slot in the KZN Legislature schedule. Healh Department spokesperson Ntoknao Maphisa ssid the implementafion of the e-fing process imvolved the overtasul of the department's entre system, and it was a work in process, adding that chalenges were expected when roling out such a project. Tis worth noting that Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital caters for an extremely large catchment area, and is among the country's biggest hospitals, which may lead to technical chalenges fom fme to fime, which forces us to use the manual system," he added. According to the spokesperson, the noof repsirs at RXK Khan Hospital, which had begun, staled because the contractor could not finish the work and had abandoned fhe site. He said the department was in the process of appoinfing another contractor. "Health committee members say staff shortages, delay in repair project impacting Durban hospitals." In an event whereby the project runs low on resources or is delayed, the project manager needs to assess the situation prudently and make effective decisions accordingly to keep your project goals on track. This can be observed on many levels, state and interpret each level. Question 2 (4 Marks) Suggest atleast TWO approaches of a project plan that shows how the money allocated for the project is going to be spent. Question 3 (16 Marks) "In addition, the committee was informed that a R45 million project by the Public Works Department to repair a leaking roof at RK Khan Hospital had not taken place, leading to the transfer of some patients to Clairwood Hospital, which was also battling to cope with the load." Uncertain events (positive \& negative) pertaining to cost are common in every typology of a project. Use risk management theory as a theoretical lens and interpret the phases involved in project risk management cycle