The Gauteng Health MEC, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa, revealed more about issues at this hospital in the Gauteng Legislature this week. The information was contained in a written reply to questions by the DA’s Shadow Health MEC, Mr Jack Bloom.
Bloom had asked for feedback about the statistics related to Serious Adverse Events (SAEs), which are defined as an event that results in unintended harm to the patient by an act of commission or omission rather than by the underlying disease or condition of the patient.
According to Ramokgopa, the SAEs included ‘allegations of negligence, incompetence of staff members, human errors, abscondment of patients and system failure.’
She indicated that 90 such events have been reported at Carletonville Hospital since 2016.
‘There were 26 SAEs in 2016, 26 in 2017 and 28 from January to June this year, which appears to be an in crease for this year because there is half a year to go,’ Bloom told Herald.
Questions directed at Carletonville Hospital’s management were not answered with any detail about what exactly happened to the patients with serious adverse effects listed in the MEC’s report. The hospital’s spokesman, Mr Matabo Letsoalo, just referred questions back to the Office of the MEC. Other hospitals in the area were also listed in the report. Compared to these hospitals, the problems at Carleton ville Hospital looked mundane.
Leratong Hospital had 651 SAEs for the same period, while Sebokeng Hospital had a whopping 1 487.
The Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital is the most dangerous hospital for patients in Gauteng, with 4 320 recorded SAEs for this period.
Heidelberg Hospital had the lowest number of SAEs (42), followed by Tshwane District Hospital (50) and Pretoria West (66).
In the meantime, the help of emergency services had to be called in last Thursday afternoon at around 16:30 after a fire broke out at Carletonville Hospital. Although the Carletonville Fire Department had to be called to the hospital, the fire was luckily not too big and was brought under control quickly.
‘The fire was caused by a patient that was admitted to the male medical ward,’ Letsoalo, told the Herald.
As far as could be determined, this patient had set his mattress alight. No-one was injured in the incident.
