Helen Joseph Hospital

Recently I took my wife in a wheelchair to OPs for the first. What dreadful service. Signage when in the hospital is insufficiently displayed. To try and open a file for a new patient is impossible. We were shifted from one reception to another waiting in long queues at each reception. I can understand the queues being a public hospital. At a reception of an area where the signage was unclear we were totally ignored despite 3 staff members being there. Folk in front of us all got served but there we stood! Eventually a kind person waiting for a doctor came and read our referral letter and sent us to the 2nd floor. Thank you kind patient. The receptionist was almost ******, unhelpful and left us to try and find where to go when being at the hospital for the first time. It was even a job to greet anyone in the queue. After 6 hours my wife told me to leave as she could no longer bear the pain which is chronic. We left without a file being opned or her seeing a doctor. Despite the government requesting to wear masks many staff had them under their noses!!! Some example for the public! At the beginning we went into the tent for checking and given a sticker. When your department is called everyone rushes as there was a massively danger to happen in the tent. With a wheelchair you always end up at the end of queues despite arriving at 04h00. Why can't this hospital give you a number with the same number on your file, IF you are ever fortunate to get one. The clinic I attend give excellent service and ensure very ill and chronic patients are attended first before others collecting medicines, getting dressings etc. Very clean and well run clinic. You can even make appointments by telephone. Obviously if you just go you have to wait until they squeeze you in between patients. All provincial heads, hospital staff should go on courses to the Western Cape where clinics and hospitals are expertly run. One cannot get all the medication they are on in Gauteng whereas Cape is able to supply. Goodness knows what is going to happen when NHI is introduced. Ministers etc. Need to visit hospitals UNANNOUNCED join the queue from outpatients all the way through to a department as a patient to get an accurate assessment. Going announced all is got in order prior to the visit. I heard Gauteng hospitals and clinics were pathetic and have now found out for myself. Only my clinic can be praised. How this province will cope with COVID inoculation and hospitalised patients for this epidemic remains to be seen. So far inoculation are behind schedule! One has to register which is ideal but how does the department know you have comorbidities to vaccinate those people first? Nothing is asked on the registration application. Many new sisters, matrons, nurses and other staff in the province need to be trained urgently and replace the existing poor performing staff immediately. There must be trainees available for immediate dismissals and non inceases/bonuses for the non performing staff with no empathy, manners and disregard for government regulations. Interesting times ahead with wave 3 despite all people being told will be no problem. Certainly lots and lots of work to be done to sort out Helen Joseph Hospital.