News24.com | Gauteng urgently needs to fix leadership problems, says Section27

Rahima Moosa Hospital was under an investigation after a video circulated on social media showing pregnant women sleeping on the hospitals floors. (Photo by Gallo images/Fani Mahuntsi)

• Law centre Section27 said there was a dire need to transform the leadership problems plaguing Gauteng.
• This after the health ombud released a damning report against the leadership and staff of the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital in Johannesburg.
• The DA's Jack Bloom said the report laid bare the severe management deficiencies that have led to poor care, including pregnant women sleeping on the floor.

There is an urgent need for Gauteng, the country's wealthiest province, to transform the leadership problems that have plagued it for so long, law centre Section27 said on Wednesday.

The head of its health rights programme, Sasha Stevenson, said the province needed to invest more in the health infrastructure required to serve residents who have a constitutional right to access healthcare services.

Stevenson spoke to News24 following the release of the damning findings against the leadership and staff of the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital in Johannesburg.

Health ombud Professor Malegapuru Makgoba and his team spent more than a year probing complaints at the facility.

The ombud launched the investigation after reports that pregnant women were sleeping on the floor and allegations of the CEO, Dr Nozuko Precious Mkabayi, not being at work as expected.

READ | Gauteng health dept was warned many times about serious nurse shortage at Rahima Moosa Hospital - ombud

The once award-winning hospital has plummeted to one that showed a callous and chilling disregard for human safety.

Makgoba's investigation found senior managers at the hospital exhibited a significant lack of discipline and were manipulative.

His investigation also found there were several lapses in the employment processes followed by the Gauteng health department in appointing Mkabayi as CEO in 2020.

Stevenson said this illustrated the continuing deep dysfunction in the department.

"The dysfunction was on full display at the time of the Life Esidimeni disaster and continues to this day," she added.

The DA’s Jack Bloom said the report laid bare the severe management deficiencies that have led to poor care, including pregnant women sleeping on the floor.

In July last year, Bloom tabled questions in the Gauteng legislature to query how many days the CEO had spent at work since her appointment on 1 January 2021.

READ | The once proud Rahima Moosa hospital - now filthy and unsafe - needs a new CEO fast, ombud says

In the response then-health MEC Dr Nomathemba Emily Mokgethi provided to the legislature on 8 August 2022, she indicated Mkabayi had spent 346 days at the hospital after her appointment.

But the ombud's investigation found 71 days were unaccounted for.

The health ombud's report found the advertised requirements were deficient for a senior position compared to several other equivalent advertised CEO posts in different provinces.

The advertisement for the CEO position should align with standardised requirements for CEOs of regional and tertiary level hospitals to ensure potential candidates meet all the relevant criteria and are "fit for purpose".

"A review is needed of all hospital CEOs to assess their competency and strict criteria used in new appointments.

"The DA will closely monitor whether the department carries out the health ombud's recommendations at Rahima Moosa Hospital and at other hospitals as well," Bloom said.

The report recommended a suitable and permanent CEO be identified and appointed as a matter of priority within three months.

The report further recommended that Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko urgently appoint an independent forensic and audit firm within two months to conduct a competency, "fit for purpose" assessment of the leadership and management staff at the hospital.

The department was also asked to fast-track the establishment of a fully functional adult ICU at the hospital within six months.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi was instructed to ensure the hospital was one of the first to be refurbished within six months.

The department said it welcomed the report, adding plans were being implemented in the "immediate and long-term period".