An investigation into the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital found that the institution was dirty, neglected and unsafe.
Malegapuru health ombudsman Makgoba read the report to Health Minister Joe Phaahla at a media briefing on Tuesday, and disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against the hospital’s chief executive, Dr Nozuko Mkabayi.
The report found that, among others, expectant mothers were sleeping on the floor at a hospital in Coronationville, Johannesburg.
Makgoba said the investigation was conducted through the analysis and triangulation of information and documentary evidence received from the Gauteng health department and health professionals at the hospital. Another 34 people were interviewed from August 4 to November 29, 2022.
“We found that it is true that mothers who are going to sleep are sleeping on the floor,” Makgoba said.
The allegations were revealed after a member of the Patriotic Alliance of the mayor’s council for health and social development Ashley Sauls showed a videos from expectant mothers sleeping on hospital floors via Twitter last year.
Sauls posted the video on April 1, with the caption: “Pregnant women in the Rahima Moosa hospital slept on the floor for 3 days. I went there immediately and sadly found it true. We cannot allow this to continue, we must restore the HEART service.
The day after the video went viral, Gauteng health executive councilor Nomathemba Mokgethi visited the hospital. He said that the entity serves many pregnant women and even after using 16 beds to bring the number of antenatal beds to 56, this is still not enough.
In response, the chief executive of Mkabayi hospital said that the facility deals with complex cases that have been referred from the clinic, but this is not always the case.
“We’ve got a lot of patients, especially those outside the border, and they haven’t been to the clinic, so nothing is planned,” he said.
Mkabayi explained that the hospital had a policy of not turning anyone over, so some women had to occupy seats for no more than two days when the hospital was operating at full capacity.
The report found that at least 40% of patients were from other countries.
Makgoba also spoke about a complaint by Democratic Alliance member Jack Bloom to the Gauteng provincial legislature on March 8 last year about Mkabayi not being in hospital for most of the time.
The report found that the chief executive had worked full-time at the hospital for only 182 days since his appointment on January 1, 2021. In the investigation, Mkabayi failed to provide evidence of the date he attended virtual meetings from home.
He was also unable to provide evidence to prove that Dr Freddy Kgongwana, the deputy director general for hospitals and special services at the health department, had given permission to work from home.
Makgoba said the report recommended that a suitable and permanent chief executive be appointed within three months.
He stated that the hospital was old; It was built in 1943 and has not been substantially upgraded since then.
The report also recommended that the Gauteng premier ensure that the Rahima Moosa hospital is renovated within six months.