The Gauteng provincial government has been given tight deadlines to appoint a permanent CEO at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, refurbish the facility, appoint skilled health workers and gazette the facility as a tertiary hospital.
These are recommendations made by health ombud Prof Malegapuru Makgoba in his Report of Investigations into Allegations against Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital in Coronationville, Johannesburg.
Makgoba presented the report to health minister Joe Phaahla and provincial health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko at a media briefing on Tuesday.
The investigation into the hospital was initiated after Dr Tim de Maayer, from the facility, wrote an open letter to the Gauteng health department depicting the bad state of the hospital.
Makgoba said the Gauteng health department should ensure that a suitable, and permanent CEO for the hospital was identified and appointed as a matter of priority, within three months.
“The advertisement for the CEO position should be in line with standardised requirements for CEOs of regional and tertiary level hospitals to ensure any potential candidates meet all the relevant criteria and are ‘fit for purpose’. To ensure success, the GDoH should provide ongoing regular support to the new hospital CEO, which should be documented on a monthly basis,” read the report.
Makgoba said the premier should ensure that Rahima Moosa hospital was one of the first hospitals to be refurbished within six months.
“Consideration should be given based on the collapsing sewage system, leaking steam pipes, dilapidated buildings, and unkempt surrounding areas within the hospital perimeter,” said Makgoba.
The report recommended the department to prioritise and fast-track the gazetting of Rahima Moosa hospital as a tertiary hospital, which would ensure that it received a tertiary grant, within eight months.
Another recommendation is for the department to prioritise the review of the hospital’s staff establishment and appoint staff in line with their skill sets in all departments to ensure compliance with health regulations.
The report said a review of the utilisation of nurses from nursing agencies was also recommended to reduce the strain on the goods and services budget. It said a report detailing progress in this regard should be sent to the ombud within months.
The report recommended Nkomo-Ralehoko to urgently appoint an independent forensic and audit firm within two months to conduct a competency, ‘fit for purpose’ assessment of the leadership and management staff, assess the need to up-skill all hospital managers or exco members to ensure they were able to perform their functions in line with the expectations of the hospital’s service delivery mandate.
The department was also urged to fast-track the establishment of a fully functional adult intensive care unit at the hospital within six months and institute a disciplinary inquiry within one month against Sister T Goduka and Dr Nozuko Mkabayi.
It found that Goduka had used an unauthorised self-concocted solution in the maternity operating theatres between August and September, putting the lives of patients at risk.
Her actions led to several adverse events (post-operative wound sepsis), which necessitated eleven “relook” surgeries between August and September.
Makgoba said Mkabayi had failed to manage her leave as stipulated in her contract with the department.
He said the report would be given to the office of the health standards compliance CEO, Nkomo-Ralehoko, and Phaahla, to monitor and ensure that the recommendations were implemented.
Nkomo-Ralehoko said along with Phaahla she would study the findings and recommendations and ensure that they were implemented speedily.
kokam@sowetan.co.za
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