Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

2-minute read
17 March 2023 | 20:57 CAT

Image: SA People

South Africa’s health ombudsman has released a bombshell report into the dire conditions for pregnant women and babies in the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital in Johannesburg. The ombudsman described it as dirty, filthy and unsafe.

Expectant mothers sleep on chairs and hospital floors, with crumbling infrastructure, management deficiencies, and a paediatric and child health facility with no blood bank, laboratory facility or intensive care unit (ICU).

These are some of the damning findings contained in the report of the Health Ombudsman, Professor Malegapuru Makgoba, who was tasked with investigating allegations against Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital (RMMCH) in Johannesburg.

The investigation follows a complaint lodged by a Member of Parliament’s Health Portfolio Committee on 6 April 2022 into allegations of the circumstances relating to the care of expectant mothers at RMMCH.

DA health spokesperson on Gauteng, Jack Bloom, said the findings were familiar, and the CEO should resign while absent more than she attended to her duties.

Rahima Moosa used to be an award-winning hospital; describing what went wrong, Bloom said leadership and the Gauteng Health Department had been a mess for a long time.

“This was cadre deployment and is how the position of CEO was filled. The irregularities of how she was appointed turns out she did not disclose that she a chronic mental health condition,” he says.

Meanwhile, Health Minster, Dr Joe Phaahla, has welcomed the report.

“We will engage with the provincial department to secure the necessary funding to allocate for the infrastructure refurbishment of Rahima Moosa,” he said, adding that it will work to reform the human resource and procurement policies to allow agility in response to the immediate challenges.

Phaahla said they would look into health facilities to ensure that there is an improvement.

Listen to the interview on Your World Today with Mufti Yusuf Moosagie and his guest DA health spokesperson on Gauteng, Jack Bloom.