150 staff infected by Covid-19 at Bheki Mlangeni hospital

25 August 2020

150 staff have been infected at the Bheki Mlangeni Hospital in Soweto, which amounts to one in seven out of 1050 staff in total.

This is revealed by Acting Health MEC Jacob Mamabolo in an oral reply to my questions at a sitting today of the Gauteng Legislature.

The hospital CEO Ruth Mabyana is currently on precautionary suspension after a psychiatric patient allegedly murdered another patient in May this year.

This hospital has always been badly managed since it was opened with great expectations six years ago. There was a jobs-for-cash hiring scandal and persistent labour relations problems that placed it on the list of five worst hospitals in Gauteng.

Poor management is a major factor in the high number of staff infected with COVID-19 because of poor infection control and a lack of quality Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

According to Mamabolo, there are ongoing investigations at that will decide the fate of the hospital CEO.

My view is that there needs to be a total change of top management at the hospital to rectify deep-seated problems that grievously hurt staff and patients.

Issued by Jack Bloom,DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, 25 August 2020