Former radio broadcaster, Tom London has sparked outrage amongst citizens after revealing the infrastructure conditions at the Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg.
The 51-year-old talk show host took to Facebook over the weekend to express his complaints about the hospital’s infrastructure and the care he has been receiving from doctors.
In the widely shared video, London shows the hospital’s poor infrastructure, including malfunctioning taps, peeling ceiling boards, and broken plug points. He also revealed the bad treatment he received from doctors, claiming that patients were being treated like cockroaches.
In the video, London says he was rushed to hospital on the 25th of August when he went into respiratory distress after his pneumonia treatment didn’t work. After arriving at the hospital, he further claimed that he spent 3 days in casualty before he was transferred to a ward when a bed became available.
Gauteng Health and Wellness MEC, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko have since denied the poor treatment claims made by London.
The MEC says she, together with senior officials from the department, met with the hospital’s management team where she was informed about the care given to London, who is legally known as Thomas Homes.
In a statement, Nkomo-Ralehoko says her probe revealed that the 51-year-old was cared for during his 14-day stay at the facility before he discharged himself. She added that while there are infrastructure issues at the hospital, it does not interfere with patient treatment.
The Gauteng Department of Health has since launched a probe to establish the facts and issues raised by London. The Department further noted that while investigations continue, it launched a provincial campaign earlier this year, called “I Serve With A Smile”, which is aimed at improving staff attitude and patient experience of care.
“Furthermore, the GDoH has established an internal infrastructure unit which has now developed a maintenance and refurbishment programme.”
According to the department, Helen Joseph and other facilities are earmarked for further maintenance.
