Widespread safety non-compliance at Gauteng hospitals

19 April 2021 

The devastating fire at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital (CMJH) is the fourth hospital fire in Gauteng in six years, and past inspections of Gauteng public hospitals have revealed widespread lack of compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).

Previous fires took place at Carletonville Hospital in February this year, at Bheki Mlangeni Hospital in May 2019, and Tambo Memorial Hospital in May 2015. Another fire started at the head office of the Gauteng Health Department in the Bank of Lisbon building in September 2018.

Former Gauteng Health MEC Bandile Masuku indicated in 2019 that no state health facility in Gauteng had been assessed as complying with the OHSA. He said that “all facilities audited received either a noncompliance finding, such as a contravention and/or improvement compliance notice and fire contravention.”

The critical areas included general machinery regulations, electrical installation regulations, fire-fighting equipment, lift regulations, storage, exits, stairs and aisles.

The Department has estimated that it would cost about R6 billion to ensure compliance for all 32 public hospitals in Gauteng. This included R394 million to fix CMJH, but little of this has been budgeted.

Years of poor spending on maintenance has led to the parlous state of our hospitals which risks the lives of patients and staff.

I estimate that the cost to fix CMJH after the fire may well be close to R1 billion.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 19 April 2021