The Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital is dirty, filthy and unsafe.
This was revealed by health ombudsman professor Malegapuru Makgoba during the release of findings of an investigation into the Johannesburg hospital on Tuesday.
The investigation came after a paediatrician, Dr Tim de Maayer, blew the whistle on the state of healthcare facilities in Gauteng, particularly Rahima Moosa, where he is employed.
In June 2022, Maayer wrote to the department of health in the province outlining how difficult it was to manage a critically ill patient without the benefit of blood test results.
He wrote that the National Health Laboratory Service’s turnaround time is frequently more than 24 hours at the hospital.
Maayer was later suspended for exposing the fast declining state of the hospital.
Before Makgoba handed over the report, he conducted a walkabout at the hospital, where he was accompanied by Minister of Health Joe Phaahla.
Makgoba said safety and dirt are some of the concerns that were confirmed during the walkabout, noting that the hospital has no laboratory, which makes it difficult for an institution of specialisation to be thoroughly operational.
“In Gauteng, the supposedly well-resourced province, unlike other provinces, they have lowered the criteria of hiring CEOs,” Makgoba said.
“There is a problem of human resources. The quality of people we choose to lead our hospitals is worse in Gauteng than in other provinces.
“You have a specialised hospital that looks after mothers and babies, but it has no blood bank. You cannot run such a hospital without a laboratory in the 21st century.
“There is also a huge shortage of nursing staff and security challenges are high too, because staff [members] get robbed of their belongings and cars get stolen.”
The provincial department of health welcomed Makgoba’s report and said it will study it with the view of consolidating an implementation plan to address issues raised.
“As part of ensuring that issues raised in the report are followed through, the department will be providing periodical reports on the matter to the ombud as required,” it said.
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