BRING BLANKETS, bring pillows and even a mattress if you’ve got one.

At this hospital you may have to wait all day, and even throughout the cold night.

AND BRING FOOD TO EATIN THE QUEUE. YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO LOSE YOUR PLACE

Although she was an outpatient, Motlatsi Mosia (48) had to sleep overnight at the hospital.

It happened at Mahikeng Provincial Hospital in North West.

And her 13-year-old daughter was with her on the night!

“Some people come here with their meals,” said Motlatsi.

“They bring food to eat in the morning. You can’t afford to lose your place in the queue.

“As cold as it is, we sleep there and hope for the best because we can’t go anywhere else. For us, this has become our second home.”

The SunTeam saw people carrying blankets, pillows, food and drinks entering the hospital.

Many of them ate their dinner and even had breakfast next to the hospital’s reception area.

A patient who was sleeping on the floor said: “There’s a good chance that I’ll spend a day and a night before receiving attention.”

Another patient said: “You go in walking or being carried by relatives, but you might end up dying.”

Many of the patients also wait for transport to send them to other health facilities.

North West acting health spokesman, Tebogo Lekgethwane, said they were made aware of the situation at the hospital less than three days ago.

And they were coming up with solutions to improve the situation.

“The MEC, Dr Magome Masike, was made aware of this issue yesterday. He raised it with management yesterday morning,” said Lekgethwane.

“We learnt from the hospital that the patients are waiting for transport for referral to other health
facilities.”

It emerged that they had left their homes at about 2am and arrived in the early hours of the morning to wait until departure time.

“One of the proposals is to introduce a short-stay facility for such patients, although that will come with related challenges and resource needs,” he said.

“The MEC has directed management to find a solution to the challenge. They will develop an intervention plan and inform the MEC.”