38 doctors at Dora Nginza Hospital warn of unacceptable risk after mother's death

Thirty-eight doctors at Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha, South Africa, have signed a collective letter warning that deteriorating conditions in the obstetrics and gynaecology department pose an unacceptable risk to mothers and babies. The doctors cite failing electrical infrastructure, broken resuscitation equipment, and severe staff shortages, which they link to the death of a 28-year-old mother. However, the Eastern Cape department of health disputes any causal link.

Dora Nginza Hospital maternal death

• ▪The Eastern Cape department of health stated that its internal investigation found no causal link between infrastructure failures and the maternal death of the 28-year-old woman at Dora Nginza Hospital.
• ▪A 28-year-old woman died at Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha, South Africa, after haemorrhaging and going into cardiac arrest following childbirth.

Failing electrical infrastructure

• ▪A collective letter signed by 38 doctors at Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha identified failing electrical infrastructure as a critical hazard in the obstetrics and gynaecology department.
• ▪Doctors at Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha stated that a lack of functioning electrical outlets prevented the use of essential resuscitation equipment during a patient emergency.

Broken resuscitation equipment

• ▪Thirty-eight doctors at Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha warned that broken resuscitation equipment in the obstetrics and gynaecology department poses an unacceptable risk to patients.
• ▪Doctors at Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha reported that essential resuscitation equipment could not be utilized during the resuscitation of a critically ill patient.

Staff shortages

• ▪Due to severe overcrowding and resource constraints at Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha, pregnant women have been forced to sleep on chairs.
• ▪Staff shortages in the obstetrics and gynaecology department at Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha have left the facility without theatre staff to perform critical surgeries.

Cancelled operations

• ▪Operations for women with gynaecological cancers at Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha have been postponed due to a lack of available theatre staff.
• ▪Pregnant women booked for elective Caesarean sections at Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha face waiting times of up to two weeks.

Doctors' collective warning letter

• ▪A collective letter by 38 doctors at Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha stated that the deteriorating conditions at the facility present an unacceptable risk to maternal and neonatal safety.
• ▪Thirty-eight doctors in the obstetrics and gynaecology department at Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha collectively signed a letter warning that department conditions pose an unacceptable risk.

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