Harrowing footage, allegedly filmed at Wentworth Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, has been doing the rounds on social media.

It started circulating over the weekend, showing patients sleeping on the floor, hunched over in chairs, or as is the case with one woman, begging for help from her hospital bed, saying that she “can’t breathe”.

It’s unclear who recorded the video.

The footage is disturbing, so take that into account before you click ‘play’.

You’ll notice that for the duration of the clip, no assistance is offered:

While healthcare facilities in South Africa are currently overrun as reported cases of COVID-19 climb, the treatment of these patients is being described by Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson Dr Rishigen Viranna as “unacceptable, inhumane and possibly unconstitutional”.

He also says that the situation in KZN hospitals is the result of years of mismanagement, made worse by the pandemic.

Via News24:

“What we are seeing is historical shortages of vital clinical staff through frozen posts combined with healthcare workers who are becoming infected, being placed in quarantine and, sadly, some passing away. This immense strain is now having a huge impact on patient care in facilities, as seen in this video,” said Viranna

The DA has called on KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane Zulu and her head of department, Dr Sandile Tshabalala, to launch an urgent investigation into the video.

The KZN Health Department says, reports TimesLIVE, that it immediately dispatched a high-level delegation of managers from its head office after it became aware of the video.

It says that the patients in the video were awaiting COVID-19 test results.

“On the day in question, the hospital had received a particularly high number of patients. Additionally, 11 doctors were away in isolation, after testing positive. A further 17 nursing staff were off due to Covid-19. Six nurses were in charge of the accidents and emergency unit, as well as a 28–bedded short-stay ward with very sick patients,” the department explained in a statement.

The DA says that if it does not see urgent intervention from the Health Department, it plans to approach the KZN health ombudsman.

[sources:news24&timeslive]