Tara Mental Hospital is understaffed with an absentee CEO

6 November 2019

The Tara Mental Hospital has 9 vacancies for day staff and is short of 19 out of 50 required night staff, but the CEO has been absent for 94 days this year.

This information is revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Bandile Masuku in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

Key vacancies include the Head of Clinical Department, 3 Professional Nurses, a Risk Manager, Clinical Training Coordinator and a Computer Operator.

Extra staff required for night duty are as follows:

12 Professional Nurses

3 Security Officers

4 Cleaners

Hospital CEO Florence Otieno has taken 70 days annual leave from January to August this year, and 24 sick leave days. MEC Bandile states: “Upon requesting reasons for the high figure, it was stated that some of the days related to previous years. Notwithstanding this, I have written to the Head of Department to request a detailed report on whether all days were taken in accordance with HR policy.”

Bandile has also undertaken to investigate whether the finance and administration managers are properly qualified for their positions. He says that the reasons given for their appointments are “unsatisfactory”, and he has asked the Head of Department to report back to him on this by 29 November 2019.

I welcome the MEC’s undertaking to investigate possible maladministration at this hospital which serves very vulnerable mental patients.

There are currently 129 patients on the waiting lists for admission, with waiting times varying from 3 to 8 weeks.

I hope that the staff vacancies are filled, and management issues resolved as soon as possible.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 6 November 2019