Zithulele Hospital, an award-winning hospital in the deep rural wild coast of the Eastern Cape, used to be widely regarded as one of the best rural hospitals in the country. 

It is now at risk of losing its status as a centre of excellence due to mismanagement by the hospital’s new leadership team.

Since the new CEO Nolubabalo Fatyela started in late 2021, she, and the hospital management team, have created a toxic atmosphere and taken decisions that have severely impacted on the quality of patient care. They have victimised clinical staff who stood up for patient care and have forced out many highly experienced clinicians as well as one of the NGOs that provided vital care to patients with complex HIV and Tuberculosis. 

Following directives given by the CEO, patient ARV appointments at the hospital have been cancelled with no warning and many sick patients have been turned away at the hospital gate.

Concerned community members have been protesting since June 15 2022 due to the observable decline in the quality of care being given at the hospital, but the MEC has declined to meet with them despite two petitions being submitted. 

For further details see the following news articles:

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-08-11-zithulele-hospital-sadly-on-the-brink-time-to-put-the-public-back-into-public-health   

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-08-11-eastern-cape-health-department-transfers-ceo-and-senior-doctor-in-continuing-zithulele-hospital-conflict 

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-08-11-at-all-costs-the-human-and-health-impacts-of-the-implosion-of-zithulele-hospital 

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-08-11-collateral-damage-declining-care-victimisation-and-protests-at-zithulele-hospital 

https://www.biznews.com/sa-investing/2022/07/21/violence-erupts-zithulele-hospital

We call on the Eastern Cape Department of Health  and all involved stakeholders listen to the voice of the community and carefully look into issues at Zithulele Hospital so as to prevent the CEO from damaging the hospital further and thereby harming the health of the community served by the hospital even more.