Gauteng Health MEC shares blame for baby deaths  

20 September 2018

The damning statements by the SA Human Rights Commission following their visit yesterday to investigate baby deaths at the Thelle Mogoerane Hospital highlight a dire situation that Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa ignored because of her friendship with the hospital CEO Nomonde Mqhayi-Mbambo.

According to Buang Jones, the SAHRC’s Gauteng Provincial Manager, the 61 bed neonatal unit is “a crime scene” and “there is a deep-rooted leadership crisis at this hospital.”

Gross overcrowding and understaffing were major factors in the deaths of six babies from antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella.

Mqhayi-Mbambo is now on “special leave” but she should have been removed long ago.

I have long raised problems at this hospital which repeatedly blocked my attempts to do oversight in the wards.

Ramokgopa shares the blame for these preventable deaths.

It is another reason for her to resign or be fired following the fire in the Department’s decrepit Head Office that led to the deaths of three fire fighters.

Ramokgopa has not learned the lessons of the Life Esidimeni tragedy as she inexcusably ignored warnings of infection risk and protected the hospital’s incapable CEO.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 20 September 2018