Minister Mchunu urges Gauteng Department of Health to act with urgency and fix public services at the Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital
28 January 2021
The Minister for the Public Service and Administration, Mr Senzo Mchunu, has urged the Gauteng department of Health to swiftly act on the recommendations contained in the report released by the Health Ombudsman on the circumstances surrounding the care and death of Mr ShonisaniLethole at the Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital, and work towards improving the conditions and service offerings of all hospitals under its jurisdiction to prevent the repetition of such an occurrence.
Minister Mchunu has read the detailed report compiled by the Health Ombud, in terms of section 81(A) of the National Health Act, 2003 (Act No. 61 of 2003), which came as a result of a complaint by the Minister of Health, Dr Zwelini Mkhize, for the Health Ombud, Professor MalegapuruMakgoba, to carry out an investigation into the death of Mr Lethole at the Hospital in June last year.
“The treatment of Mr Lethole is unjustifiable and does not exemplify a professional public service nor reflect the type of service to be rendered to the country’s citizens. The treatment Mr Lethole received is deeply regrettable. Covid-19 has placed an immense strain on the country’s resources, particularly in the health sector, however, the manner in which Mr Lethole was treated is indeed in violation of the constitutional rights afforded to South Africans and is not reflective of the Batho Pele principles which govern the public service,” said Minister Mchunu.
The late Mr Lethole sent a tweet via the Twitter app to the Minister of Health, Dr Mkhize, advising him of the unbearable conditions at the Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital, stating that the staff seemingly did not care about patients and indicating that he had not eaten for 48 hours since his admission on the 23rd of June 2020.
After a detailed assessment of all factors concerning Mr Lethole’s stay at the hospital, the Health Ombud concluded that the staff had provided substandard and negligent care to Mr Lethole. Miscommunication between doctors and the hospital staff, poor record keeping, lack of a management plan and failure to observe basic good clinical practice, are but some of the shortfalls identified during the investigation.
In its report, the Health Ombudsman noted that the Hospital was functioning with inadequate infrastructure, limited budget and human resource capacity in respect of the required skills and competence. It was found that the Standard Operating Procedure for the ordering of patient meals which had been developed in 2017 was not in operation as no Bed/Diet list could be produced indicating that food has been order for Mr Lethole. No clear indication could be given as to why this was, as conflicting evidence was given by the hospital staff.
Minister Mchunu added that the citizens of the country expect professional services from public institutions and they should be afforded such. “The envisioned South Africa is one that is capable, developmental and ethical, boasting of a public service that is professional in all respects. As we continue in the fight against Covid-19, we once again thank all those who serve from the frontlines and appreciate their efforts and dedication.”
Let us put the people first! We Belong. We Care. We Serve.
Issued by KamogeloMogotsi on behalf of Department of Public Service and Administration, 28 January 2021
