ALBERT LUTHULI RHEUMATOLOGY DEPARTMENT PATHETIC SERVICE 2025

This hospital is gone to the dogs with regards to service delivery. Been there after 2 years and I see much renovations taking place but the service delivery has dropped drastically. Once upon a time the rated the best hospital in S.A. Today people on every corner has complaints. Only junior doctors ( google doctors ). Almost all the specialists are gone from what info I gathered there yesterday. The hospital cannot afford suitable professionals so they hire google doctors who are in simple terms " tata ma chance ". The junior doctors are 90% of the time chatting on the phone or busy on calls whilst the patients sit hours waiting to be attended to. From experience 2 years ago when I attended "rheumatology dept" they had a 4 hour waiting period sign. They dragged the entire 4 hours stating there's a shortage of doctors and we sat and waited eventually calling the operational supervisor and getting the ball rolling. Now after 2 years i visited yesterday at 6am sharp I entered the hospital. It was not as busy as usual yet I waited a full 55min before I was registered ( registration process to me is under 2mins per patient if you are educated and know how to use a PC ). Thereafter from 7am I waited in the rheumatology dept to be attended to only at 1pm but they have secured themselves by putting up a new 5hour waiting period on the wall. There were 4 doctors present so the short staff excuse couldn't be used. It was 6 hours before I was attended to for under 10mins and I was done and ready to go for my medication and ended up leaving the hospital at 2:30pm. An Indian male doctor spent most of his time walking up and down in and out of his room busy on calls or chatting. If hes so busy what is he doing in that hospital. His phone seems more important that the patients. I did go personally to complain to the PRO and on speaking to Mr Thusi over the phone he told me I should complain to the Operational Manager who is in the same department or the second in charge. I was too frustrated and delayed with time so I just left it headed back to my hometown , Mandini. The service is pathetic. Yet all in that hospital earn fat salaries come month end. Something needs to be done about the service delivery at that hospital !