The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for a change in leadership at the Gauteng Health Department in response to a damning report by the Office of Health Standards Compliance and the Health Ombud.
The report, which investigated allegations of neglect at Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg, highlights systemic failures and poor conditions at the facility.
The investigation was launched after broadcaster Thomas Holmes, popularly known as Tom London, shared videos on social media in September last year. In the videos, Holmes detailed the appalling treatment he received from hospital staff and exposed the hospital’s deteriorating infrastructure.
The report exonerated the hospital of maltreatment but found a lack of security, decaying infrastructure, staff shortages and poor governance, to name a few.
DA Shadow MEC for Health in Gauteng Jack Bloom says, “I think what’s very important is the recommendations they’ve made because we’ve had other investigations that have made recommendations, and they haven’t been carried out. I certainly hope they use whatever enforcement measures they can to ensure that this time, the recommendations are implemented in full. But there’s a broader problem: it’s the Gauteng Health Department. Virtually every hospital run by the Gauteng Health Department has similar problems to that at Helen Joseph Hospital, and I don’t think we’re going to fix the particular problems at Helen Joseph Hospital and the other hospitals until we change the top leadership at the Gauteng Health Department.”
VIDEO | The outcome of the investigation by the Health Ombud released
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