Hundreds of beds without correct linen at Bara

By Charmaine Ndlela and Rodah Mosima

A total of 860 beds at Soweto’s Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (CHNH) do not have a full set of linen, according to Gauteng health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko.

This was revealed in answers to Democratic Alliance Gauteng health spokesperson Jack Bloom.

“… this increases the infection risk, is undignified and uncomfortable for patients. It delays bed turnaround times, and it increases the burden on nursing and cleaning stuff,” Bloom said in a statement on Thursday.

“Each hospital bed should have a minimum of five sets per linen category to allow for rotational use (on bed, in laundry, in storage, in transit and in contingency stock).”

The MEC said in her reply that linen must include flat sheets, fitted sheets, blankets, pillowcases, counterpanes/bedcovers and patient gowns/pyjamas.

Ideally there should be 14,400 stocks of each linen category for the 2888 beds at the hospital.

Currently, there are