Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital management revealed the facility's challenges during the parliamentary portfolio committee on health's oversight visit on Thursday.
The more than 40 year old hospital is plagued by several issues, including vacant posts, equipment availability, congestion, digitisation of health records, water challenges, vacancy challenges, asbestos and fencing issues.
Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital senior medical manager Dr Myint Aung shared a presentation which revealed the hospital had a total of 1,715 filled posts, while 166 were vacant.
He said there was a 88% medicine availability rate.
Dr Aung said some of the main reasons for the lack of medicines are supplier constraints due to the unavailability of ingredients; delays experienced when medication is on back order and they are the sole supplier; demand exceeds production capacity and when demand exceeds estimates or forecasts.
Dr Aung said the CT scan machine is old, breaks often and has high downtime due to the unavailability of parts within the country. However, a new CT scan machine has been procured and delivered to the local supplier. It is expected to be installed before the end of April. Additionally, a new ultrasound in the labour ward and X-ray bulky units have been received.
Dr Aung said the infrastructure challenges facing the hospital include ageing infrastructure with roof leaks and asbestos; worn out plumbing; ageing air handling unit and cooling towers break frequently; fire detection system not in compliance; worn out epoxy flooring in five corridors; limited space to cater for outpatient influx; fading paintwork and parameter fencing not properly secured because a neighbouring informal settlement breaks it.
However, the eradication of asbestos roofs started in the maternity department. For the 2025/26 financial year, R100,000,00 has been allocated for asbestos eradication. A fire detection system has been added to the 2025/26 infrastructure plan.
“We try to eliminate overcrowding by extending pharmacy operational hours because of the queues to get patient files and consultation,” Dr Aung said.
On February’s water crisis, he said there were challenges with water provision from the eThekwini Municipality, either low water pressure or water cuts for periods of time, but it was eventually resolved.
The lack of water affected several hospital operations, including theatre cooling systems, boiler steam stopped, ablution facility functioning, dental services, inadequate drinking water, and postponement of elective surgery except maternity electives.
The committee raised several questions about overcrowding, water issues, and the hospital not having a risk or backup plan, among others.
One committee member said: “If it wasn’t a hospital, the Department of Labour would have closed it.”
Parliamentary portfolio committee chairperson Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo said the hospital is under strain and it will be a problem for a long time.
He said there was no other hospital in the south of Durban except for Prince Mshiyeni Memorial.
“Some issues have been left longer than they should have,” Dhlomo said.
During a walkabout of the hospital, Dhlomo stopped and had a brief chat with a patient, a teenage boy who had missed school. The boy told the chairperson he had been at the facility around 7am and by midday he had still not received his card.