Pholosong Hospital is a regional hospital based in the Eastern part of Ekurhuleni district in the Gauteng Province. The hospital serves previously disadvantaged citizens and has a bed capacity of 570 but because of a lack of equipment not all beds are being utilised. The hospitals key Health problems are HIV/Aids, TB and Trauma with violence being a major contributing factor to Trauma. The hospital is well known with emergency services as not having sufficient equipment in trauma. The lack of equipment in the Trauma Unit means patients have to be referred to hospitals out of the area. This is life threatening as the medical staff loses what is known as the platinum 15 minutes to save the patient’s life. The estimated catchment area for Pholosong Hospital is 900 000 people. The population comprises mainly of lower class and few middle class people. The area is densely populated with informal settlements.
Pholosong Before
Pholosong After
Trauma Unit Pholosong
A 24 hour emergency, resuscitation service, advanced trauma and cardiac life support;
Treatment and observation of medical and surgical and emergencies;
Treatment and reporting of physical and psychological abuse;
Treatment of HIV/Aids and TB and referral of patients to tertiary Hospitals and clinics, as appropriate.
Problems
A Trauma Unit is there to save a patient’s life. Pholosong Hospital is not only under equipped but is in desperate need of renovations to make it fully functional.
Lack of health care facilities, intensive care beds, and lack of, or defective equipment was found to have contributed to the death of 25% of maternity cases in Gauteng. The hospital is in desperate need of an isolation unit in which to treat our pregnant mother within the Trauma unit. A dedicated paediatric ward, nebulization area and overall renovations of the Unit. The limited equipment makes it impossible for the staff to deliver quality Health care and has made it difficult to attract and retain skills in the emergency and resuscitation unit. Most of the patients that are referred to trauma centres need to be optimised but without the appropriate equipment, this becomes a challenge and is life threating to the patient. The renovations to the Unit will include a dedicated room for Gynaecology, a paediatric room, a dedicated nebulization area for asthmatic patients, a 4 bedded fully equipped examination area, a suturing room and the Resuscitation Unit. The Sisters duty room will have glass so patients can be monitored at all times.
The anticipated cost of the renovations is R500 000 and the equipment is R1.1 million. Without this equipment the lives of patients attending this hospital will be negatively affected with many dying unnecessarily. Donations of R100 000 or more will have branding in both the waiting area and Trauma Unit. Branding is negotiable for donations of R500 000 +.