There is a lot to look forward to at Murchison District Hospital

This institution is fortunate enough to be among the leaders when it comes to setting standards and our track record bears testimony to that, especially when you look at things like the COHSASA accreditation that we received at first attempt.

As you would imagine there are a lot of developments that need to take place in an institution such as this in order to stay at the ‘top’.  The following are some of the projects that are in place or are planned for the near future at Murchison Hospital:

Lion’s Contribution to Murchison Hospital

The launch of the new Audiology Clinic in May 2005 was made possible through the Port Shepstone Lion’s Club’s donation of new equipment to the value of R 100 000.

The equipment has already been used extensively and has contributed to easing the lives of numerous patients. The institution is the first public facility in the Ugu District to conduct hearing tests thus opening the doors to the people of our community.

We take this opportunity of thanking the Port Shepstone Lion’s Club for their donation of this much-needed service.

New developments at the Speech and Audiology Clinic

The equipment donated earlier this year has serviced the clinic, hospital and the community very well. A wide range of patients have benefited from it, starting from children up to the elderly. Other public hospitals in the districts have also benefited from the equipment as they also do not have to refer patients for hearing tests outside the district.

What is more pleasing is that the Lions Club’s commitment to Murchison Hospital did not end there. The club has since the launch in May 2005 donated even more towards the smooth running of the Audiology clinic. More equipment has since been delivered to the clinic, courtesy of the Lion’s Club of Port Shepstone.

The new equipment called Biologic Audx II will be used for objective testing of the inner ear and it will be able to tell if the patient has any abnormality in his/her hearing organ.

With this new equipment worth about R50 000, the clinic will not only conduct basic hearings tests, but will ensure that proper and accurate diagnosis is made. This will definitely improve on the hospital’s service delivery.

Once again, we would like to express our appreciation to the Lion’s Club of Port Shepstone for believing in us.

The awarding of a contract to build the new Administration Block at Murchison Hospital

The building of a new Administration Block has been on the cards for a number of years. It has been confirmed that construction will begin on the 14th of November 2005.

Once completed the new block will definitely ease the challenge posed by lack of office space that has been evident for the past couple of years due to the expansion of services and a change in the institution’s organogram.

This building will be one of a few other developments, which are on the cards at the institution, i.e. the new TB ward, general wards and Out Patients Department; however, these are still at the planning stages and may take a while to materialise.

Self Generating Oxygen Plant
Murchison Hospital’s self-generating oxygen plant has been operational for approximately 6 months now and it has already put the institution on the map. This institution is one of only two public institutions in the country to have been chosen as pilot sites for these units called Oxyntaka.

The Unit has since installation been operating satisfactory without any concerns. It is continuously being monitored to ensure that the purest oxygen is being fed into the main hospital lines.

Setting standards is what we do best, and this project will see us being used as a benchmark by other public institutions should it prove to be successful.

Our own Gateway Clinic

Murchison Hospital will soon open doors to its very own Gateway Clinic that is currently under construction. The building process is almost complete and preparations are already in place to ensure that the clinic is operational as soon as construction is complete.

The absence of such a clinic has drawn with it a number of challenges for the institution, such as overcrowding at the Out Patients Department. This further adds to the exhaustion of staffing and other resources available in that department.

Efforts to educate our patient flow about the referral pattern that will apply from January 2006 when the clinic becomes operational have begun. More awareness events on this have been planned by the Public Relations Department with the aid of all staff.

Conclusion

With all the developments happening at Murchison District Hospital, it is clear that the quality of service delivery to our patients and community will once again move to even greater heights.

Submitted by the Hospital P.R.O Ms Silindile Dladla
 

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