Groote Schuur Hospital faces vandalism, weak infrastructure and theft challenges

THE Department of Health and Wellness has acknowledged challenges of vandalism, weak infrastructure and theft at Groote Schuur Hospital following a recently released report by the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) after an oversight visit to the hospital.

The Western Cape Provincial Office (WCPO) conducted an oversight visit on February 21.

SAHRC spokesperson, Wisani Baloyi, said that each year the National Preventive Mechanisms (NPM) Unit of the SAHRC monitors places of deprivation of liberty including correctional centres, police stations, child and youth care centres and psychiatric facilities.

He explained that monitoring visits by the SAHRC’s NPM Unit are complementary oversight visits, and that this mechanism is preventive and proactive as opposed to a complaints-based system.

“The psychiatric ward at Groote Schuur Hospital, was identified as a place of deprivation of liberty and scheduled for monitoring on the above basis.”

He said that during the WCPO’s observation it was evident that the Groote Schuur Hospital’s Psychiatric Unit has a reasonable and secure complaints mechanism in place with the support of Quality Assurance staff, and that sufficient staff were available to care for the patients. 

“However, it was mentioned that the institution experiences a challenge in recruiting nurses with specialised knowledge and experience of psychiatry.

“The only matter of concern was the observations of infrastructural challenges such as burst pipes which results in leakages into the living quarters of the patients, and which then impacts on the living conditions of the patients. Officials advised that regular maintenance is currently underway to repair the infrastructure,” Baloyi said.

“The WCPO will conduct follow up engagements with the institution in order to monitor progress in respect of repairs.”

Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness spokesperson Dwayne Evans said it was important to note that Groote Schuur Hospital’s Old and New Main Buildings are approaching 90 and 60 years, respectively. "As such, continuous maintenance and repair efforts are being undertaken to address these age-related challenges,” Evans said.

“Unfortunately, acts of vandalism and theft of critical infrastructure have further complicated these efforts, posing risks to both staff and patients. Nevertheless, we remain committed to ensuring a safe and dignified environment for all. Regular maintenance is ongoing, and additional measures are being explored to enhance the facility’s resilience.”

Evans said that the shortage of specialised psychiatric nurses is a national challenge that has impacted many institutions, including Groote Schuur Hospital.

“We have multiple ongoing recruitment processes aimed at increasing the number of specialist nurses and other healthcare professionals at the facility. In addition, continuous in-service training is provided to general nurses to enhance their ability to care for mental health patients effectively. Initiatives such as the Very Important Pensioners (VIP) programme are also in place to attract retired specialist nurses back into the workforce,” Evans said.