Gauteng’s worst Hospital CEO reinstated

27 August 2020

Gauteng’s worst hospital CEO has been reinstated one day after Acting Gauteng Health MEC Jacob Mambolo informed me that she was on precautionary suspension while investigation continued into a psychiatric patient’s murder of another patient at the hospital in May this year.

Ruth Mabyana has been the CEO of the Bheki Mlangeni Hospital in Soweto since it was opened six years ago with high expectations but ended up as one of the five worst hospitals in Gauteng.

During her tenure there has been a jobs-for-cash scandal involving 111 workers appointed irregularly, more than 140 disciplinary actions against staff, and at least 10 violent attacks this year by psychiatric patients, including the stabbing to death of an 85-year-old patient.

The hospital has a poor reputation in the local community where it is known as AVBOB because of the high number of deaths.

Earlier this year a pregnant woman was locked in a room and refused food as they suspected she was infected with Covid-19. In reply to my questions this week Mamabolo disclosed that 150 staff members caught the virus, which is one in seven of the 1050 total staff.

This shows persistent poor management that has harmed both staff and patients. There are allegations of a clique of crooked top officials who make nepotistic appointments and are feared by staff.

It is a mystery why Mabyana has not been removed for gross incompetence. I suspect she may have been protected because she knows things that could implicate others.

The Gauteng Health Department has been rocked by the R2.2 billion PPE contract scandal, but there is more rot that needs to be uprooted to ensure that all hospitals have competent and honest management.

Issued byJack Bloom,DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, 27 August 2020