A total of 3 832 patients died last year in Gauteng public hospitals as a result of 10,741 serious adverse events (SAEs), which the Democratic Alliance claimed arose "largely from avoidable medical negligence".
News24 reports that this information was disclosed by Gauteng Health MEC Bandile Masuku in a written reply to DA Gauteng health spokesperson Jack Bloom's questions in the Gauteng legislature.
An SAE is defined as an event that results in unintended harm to the patient by an act of commission or omission rather than by the underlying disease or condition of the patient.
According to Bloom, hospitals with the most recorded SAEs were: Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital: 1 763; Steve Biko Hospital: 893; George Mukhari Hospital: 766; Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital: 722; Helen Joseph Hospital 644; Thelle Mogoerane Hospital: 625; Tembisa Hospital: 517; Sebokeng Hospital: 511; Weskoppies Hospital: 504; Kopanong Hospital: 415; Bertha Gxowa Hospital: 409; Tambo Memorial Hospital: 393; Rahima Moosa Hospital: 385; Kalafong Hospital: 345; and Leratong Hospital: 323.
Gauteng Health spokesperson Kwara Kekana said it was misleading to claim that the deaths were caused by negligence. "Serious adverse events are not necessarily medical negligence. Cases of medical negligence have to proven, it is very careless and irresponsible of the DA to equate medical serious adverse events to medical negligence," Kekana is quoted in the report as saying.
[link url="https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/3-832-deaths-in-gauteng-hospitals-because-of-medical-negligence-da-20191030"]News24 report[/link]