Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has lashed out at “inhumane” treatment that led to a psychiatric patient’s death, saying conduct exposed in a recent scathing report by the Health Ombud “had nothing to do with infrastructure or resource constraints”, reports the Cape Argus.
The findings by Health Ombudsman Professor Taole Mokoena into two patient deaths in Gauteng had exposed serious lapses in care, governance and patient safety in both public and private facilities, and Motsoaledi said he was prepared to establish a tribunal if anyone disputed the report.
In the one case, an investigation found that psychiatric patient Lerato Mohlamme died after a fire in a seclusion unit at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital, where failures included the improper admission process, the withholding of food and medication, and inadequate fire safety measures.
A separate investigation examined the death of a newborn at Pretoria’s Netcare Femina Hospital, where concerns were raised about the standard of care in the neonatal unit.
Motsoaledi said while those implicated have the right to challenge the Ombud’s findings, this would not stop the state from acting.
“People always take issues on review but the fact that they were found guilty does not mean we will stop doing what we have to do until … a retired judge or magistrate passes a verdict that there’s something wrong with the report,” he said.
The law allows for a tribunal to be established, chaired by a retired judge or magistrate and supported by medical experts, to review the findings if there are claims the process was flawed.
“Refusing, withholding food… has got nothing to do with infrastructure. It's just outright inhumane,” Motsoaledi said, while withholding medication was “a cardinal sin”, and such matters would be referred to professional bodies for disciplinary action, he vowed.
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