So I hear/read that Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (Bara), in Soweto, is launching a TV channel run by Dr Love. A hospital TV channel. I work in the TV industry so anytime there’s a new channel I get extremely excited. But not this time. This is some BS, what I call futsek-sh¡t!
There are just so many things wrong about this situation that I can’t help myself but want to march down there and box somebody’s ears.
10 reasons why this is some futsek-sh¡t:
A lot of money is required to launch any TV station. From license application to staffing to equipment to brand and marketing – it’s a lot of fucking money.
- There have been reports of doctors being unable to continue their work, operations, when there’s a power outage. For instance, we have heard and read about the generator not kicking in in time and doctors having to resort to cellphone torches >; Outage Hits Bara, Bara denies Lights Crisis, Doctors Forced to operate in the dark. While the department may deny that doctors used cellphone torches to operate during failure, they don’t deny that it took two hours for power to the hospital and that whatever back up power source there was it failed.
- Babies have been dying, some left brain damaged. This is because of a staffing crisis as doctors are reported saying. This issue is because nurses aren’t being paid. I guess since they are busy paying ghost nurses and doctors that they don’t have money to pay real nurses… Yet there’s money for TV Stations>; Bara Baby Crisis,
- doctors selling lists of deceased to undertakers – is this just pure greed and corruption or is it that the hospital staff isn’t being paid enhough? perhaps a combination of all. >; Bodies sold for R150 at Bara,
- Nurses being abusive towards young mothers. Woman loses babies at Bara. Nurses and Doctors are overworked and underpaid – we know that to be the state of public hospitals in this country – all of that considered, nurses and doctors are mean to patience. That coupled with the long waiting periods, the lack of medication and equipment people find themselves in a state were hospitals are places of death. Man’s piles op takes a ghastly turn
- Backlogs in surgery caused by broken equipment, shortage of medication, unpaid service providers >; Shot man dies waiting for operation, Bara Admits
- Budget constraints prevent hospitals from replacing broken beds in the ICU >; Gauteng Hospital Beds Unused, Broken Equipment, Broken Cancer Machines,
- There’s no room in the hospital. We’ve heard of dying people, being turned away because there’s no room, because the hospital is already handling more patients than they have capacity to deal with >; Hospitals turn away dying man, No Room for Burn Victim,
- In 2011, a R120m refurbishment was completed and launched yet in 2012 there are reports of maternity wards being unhygienic, of broken beds, of inadequate equipment. What is going on in Bara? >; Bara Problems, R120m Bara Facelift, Ghost Doctors,
I don’t see how the hospital administration can justify money being channeled into a television channel instead of the patching up the hospital inadequencies… Oh wait, hears an attempt – Embattled hospital defends tv channel.
Right, so communications – lifestyle, spiritual and health entertainment – will address the problems faced by this hospital? Talk about putting a plaster on a big gash. Dr Love, the Soweto TV personality who is set to run the channel, says the channel will be useful because it “would educate residents in Soweto, teaching them how to use the hospital constructively.” Even the Gauteng department, Simon Zwane, spokesperson supports that point of view. But what most telling and infuriating is when he goes on to say that the hospital “struggles from time to time”. This tells me there is not interest in putting some concerted effort to addressing the problems at the hospital, not by government or by the hospital official or celeb doctors like Dr Love.
They also tell us that the channel will be funded through private money. The problem isn’t where this money is coming from. Whether it’s funded through public money or private money ultimately this is a misuse of money. This is like buying a tiara for a crack fiend instead of booking the bugger into a rehabilitation programme.
The Bara TV station is a horrible plan. It should be dumped and the funds being raised for it should be channeled into improving the hospital services, equipment and paying the staff better.
ain't i woman 