Serious Adverse Events (SAEs) have soared at Gauteng public hospitals, with 6,910 SAEs recorded last year compared with 4,701 SAEs in 2020 and 4,170 SAEs in 2019, according to Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health.
An SAE is defined as an event that results in an unintended harm to the patient by an act of commission or omission rather than by the underlying disease or condition of the patient.
This latest information on SAEs was revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi in a written reply to questions in the Gauteng Legislature.
According to Mokgethi, the causes of injury or death included the following:
– clinical process/procedure
– healthcare-associated infections
– medication/IV fluids
– medical device/equipment
– blood or blood products
– behaviour
– patient accidents and self-inflicted injury
– pressure ulcers acquired during/after admission
– infrastructure/buildings/fixtures
Mokgethi said corrective measures include counselling, in-service training and consequence management.
"I am alarmed that SAEs continue to rise, with terrible effects on patients and a continuing rise in medical negligence claims.
Last year, the department received 157 new summonses, which claimed R1.6bn for medical negligence.
We need drastically improved management in hospitals, the filling of staff vacancies and proper equipment, as well as good training and disciplinary measures for non-performance," Bloom said in a Politicsweb report.
Politicsweb article – 6 910 serious adverse events in Gauteng hospitals – Jack Bloom (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
3,832 die in Gauteng’s public hospitals from ‘negligent’ SAEs
Serious Adverse Events on the rise in Gauteng’s worst hospitals
Jubilee Hospital high on serious adverse events list