Sterkfontein Hospital on killer hospital list
"Patients should be cured, rather than be harmed by negligent staff in hospitals."
Sterkfontein Psyciatric Hospital now is known as Krugersdorp’s most dangerous hospital in terms of the number of serious adverse events (SAE) happening there.
This according to DA Gauteng Health spokesperson Jack Bloom.
Tembisa Hospital is Gauteng’s most dangerous hospital, with 71 SAEs recorded from January 2012 to September 2013.
“This was revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Hope Papo in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature,” says Bloom.
A SAE is 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.
It includes allegations of negligence, sexual assault, suicide and attempted suicide, skills gap, systems failure and errors.
According to Papo, progressive discipline, referral to the police and referral to statutory bodies are steps following an SAE.
Other hospitals with high incidences of negligence over this period include:
Jubilee Hospital: 64 SAEs
Chris Hani Baragwanath: 64 SAEs
Bertha Gxowa: 44 SAEs
Sterkfontein: 40 SAEs
Pretoria West: 39 SAEs
Tshwane District: 38 SAEs
Charlotte Maxeke: 38 SAEs
Kopanong: 37 SAEs
Sebokeng: 37 SAEs
The safest hospital is the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, which recorded only four SAEs.
Edenvale Hospital recorded five SAEs and Steve Biko Academic Hospital recorded nine SAEs, which is impressive for such a large hospital.
The Far East Rand Hospital recorded 12 SEAs, which is a big improvement after negligence in some horrific cases that led to multimillion rand court-ordered pay-outs.
Altogether there were 373 recorded SAEs in Gauteng hospitals and clinics in 2012, which jumped to 532 SAEs for the January to September 2013 period.
In 2011 there were only 229 recorded SAEs.
“It is of great concern that negligence cases are rising rapidly.
“Special attention must be given to the ‘killer hospitals’, which have a disproportionately high number of medical mistakes that harm patients.
“Patients should be cured, rather than be harmed by negligent staff in hospitals.”
