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Health Ombud reveals serious findings at Helen Joseph Hospital:
Inadequate infrastructure, doctors not arriving for duty, food shortages, insufficient security and poor corporate management — these are some of the serious findings contained in reports compiled by the Office of the Health Ombud and the Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC).
In September 2024, viral videos emerged featuring former radio host Thomas “London” Holmes, who was admitted at the hospital. In these videos, Holmes highlighted the alleged neglect and discourteous behaviour he experienced from hospital staff, as well as the overall poor conditions of the hospital.
His complaints ranged from alleged poor care, long waiting times, non-functional electrical plugs, a peeling ceiling, a broken water tap, apparent rudeness from some doctors, a stolen cellphone, a dead patient left in the ward for over four hours before being removed, and infrastructure disrepair.
Health Ombud, Professor Taole Resetselemang Mokoena, briefing media on Monday said that while investigators found the clinical care provided to Holmes to be adequate, the 58-year-old hospital faced several challenges.
The investigators, supported by the Executive Manager of Complaints Management and Mokoena, uncovered a shortage of clean linen caused by machine breakdowns at the Johannesburg Laundry, as well as widespread acts of vandalism and theft occurring at the hospital.
“There was no proper control of linen inventory, leading to shrinkages and linen shortages at the hospital.
“There were also food shortages due to invoice non-payment. Patients receive food from their families that may be inappropriate for the patient’s medical condition, and surplus food may lead to infestations of flies and other pests,” the Health Ombud said.
The probe also uncovered systemic issues such as poor human resource (HR) management, lack of governance and inadequate infrastructure.
“The investigation established that there was theft of property, such as toilet equipment. While security guards were posted at all entrances, there was laxity regarding searching people and vehicles entering or leaving the hospital premises,” the Health Ombud said.
OHSC CEO, Dr Siphiwe Mndaweni, said her team also found that the infrastructure was outdated, with poor maintenance and inadequate cleanliness.
The hospital, according to Mndaweni, also faced intermittent water supply due to decaying pipes and infestations, untreated waste and ineffective waste management.
The OHSC also found that maintenance plans were not followed, with incidents affecting oxygen supply, vacuum systems, and other critical services.
Cleaning equipment, such as vacuum machines, were not serviced for over a year, and waste management practices were poor, with overflowing waste containers.
Mndaweni said the hospital’s leadership instability, with four Acting CEOs since 2019 and a dysfunctional board, exacerbated these problems.
The inspection team recommended immediate action to address these issues and improve hospital governance and accountability.
“The shortage of staff was reported in almost all the departments. This included nurses, mortuary attendants and cleaning staff.”
The OHSC CEO said it was even difficult to determine the vacancy rate because of poor record keeping.
“Helen Joseph Hospital doesn’t have a system to monitor renumerated work outside the public service and the management team admitted that they’re struggling with doctors that are not at work when they are supposed to be,” Mndaweni said.
Recommendations included refurbishing infrastructure, improving HR practices, and strengthening finance and supply chain management.
The Department of Health was urged to review staffing and leadership.
“All key positions at the hospital must be filled as soon as possible to ensure ongoing quality care and governance,” Mokoena said.
He also called for the prioritisation of key clinical posts in the neurology and dermatology units to ensure continuity of care within the Internal Medicine Department.
The Department of Health was recommended to review the establishment to align with the tertiary hospital function, and prioritise the CEO and senior clinical posts.
According to the Health Ombud, the hospital should prioritise infrastructure refurbishment and appoint ongoing maintenance committees.
Mokoena has also called on the Department of Health to develop and strengthen finance and supply chain management, segregate duties, and hire qualified personnel.
Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, received the reports and promised his department would address the issue. – SAnews.gov.za
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