REMARKS BY THE MINISTER OF HEALTH, DR JOE PHAAHLA, MP, AT THE HANDOVER EVENT OF THE RAHIMA MOOSA HOSPITAL REPORT BY THE HEALTH OMBUDSMAN, GCIS
Firstly, I want to thank you Health Ombudsman, Prof Malegapuru Makgoba and your team, for the sterling job you do in that office to watch us in the health sector as we fulfil the constitutional responsibility to offer and deliver the healthcare service in this country.
We recognize the existence of your office, and immensely appreciate the criticism and guidance you offer to us in duty to strengthen the healthcare service in South Africa. We will endeavor to strengthen our relationship with your office to build on a bold partnership in the interest of an improved service to our communities.
The Health Ombudsman Office is established by an Act of Parliament, which directs the Health Ombudsman to perform his/her functions “in good faith and without fear, favor, bias or prejudice”, to protect and promote the health and safety of users of health services by considering, investigating, and disposing of complaints in the national health system (both public and private establishments) relating to non-compliance with prescribed norms and standards. The office contributes towards a development of public service culture characterized by fairness, dedication, commitment, openness, accountability, and the promotion of the right to good public administration.
Today, we receive this report on Rahima Moosa Hospital, an iconic Child and Mother specialized hospital, cognizant of the role of your office. We would need to study the report in detail before we are able to respond comprehensively to the matters identified in the report.
We note the issues raised in the complain and the breaches substantiated by your investigations, in particular on the dignity and well-being of pregnant women as were expected to sit on plastic chairs in the pre-natal ward while awaiting delivery, and sleep n the floor due to over-crowding. Secondly, the aging infrastructure and sewage reticulation system that are failing, leading to pipe spillage and toilet blockages, the inadequacy of security with no access control measures to monitor entry and exit at the hospital, and the failed Human resource policy and system both in the hospital and the provincial health sector.
It is well known fact that there is significant pressure on the maternity units across the Gauteng hospitals. Rahima Moosa cannot escape this pressure; however, this should have necessitated infrastructure refurbishment and upgrade to expand the capacity of the hospital. The Human Resource policies and systems are dynamic areas of management that require continuous appraisals to suit contemporary demands.
In this regard we will engage with the Provincial Department to secure necessary funding to allocate for the infrastructure refurbishment of Rahima Moosa, and work to reform the human resource and procurement policies to allow agility in response to immediate challenges.
We thank you for the tireless effort to keep us on our toes not to flounder in the performance of our work.
