Charlotte Maxeke management reportedly engaged directly with Hicklin after her statement was published and found inconsistencies in her account.
Charlotte Maxeke Hospital. Picture: iStock
The Gauteng Department of Health on Tuesday hit back at the Democratic Alliance over claims that patients at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital were being denied essential medicines, saying the allegations were factually flawed and never corrected despite the error being acknowledged privately.
DA’s clinical consequences claims
Madeleine Hicklin, the DA’s Gauteng spokesperson for health, first raised the alarm on 16 July 2026, saying patients at Charlotte Maxeke hospital had been unable to access essential medicines due to ongoing shortages.
She warned of the clinical consequences of this, saying “for vulnerable patients with serious infections, every missed dose increases the risk of complications and could prove life-threatening.”
Hicklin called on Gauteng Health MEC Faith Mazibuko to urgently intervene to resolve the shortage and to be transparent with the public about how widespread the problem was.
She said her claims were based on accounts from the public rather than her own observations, stating that “the DA has received credible reports from concerned patients and their families calling for urgent intervention to prevent what could become a serious healthcare crisis at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.”
Hicklin calls out Gauteng Health semantics
Hicklin’s statement also addressed the hospital’s own explanation for the disruption.
She noted that management had admitted that “certain brands have been unavailable and substitute brands have been allocated,” but had denied that patients went without medication altogether.
She rejected this distinction, arguing that patients and their families told a different story and had reported being unable to access essential antibiotics.
“The DA condemns the Gauteng Health Department’s tendency to hide behind semantics rather than confronting the reality facing patients,” Hicklin stated.
She added that whether a specific brand or an entire antibiotic was unavailable, “the outcome is the same: patients are being denied timely treatment.”
Gauteng Health disputes DA claims
In response, Gauteng Health spokesperson Steve Mabona on 21 July 2026 said the department had “noted with serious concern the reckless and misleading media statement issued by the Democratic Alliance’s Member of the Provincial Legislature, Madeleine Hicklin, on 16 July 2026.”
According to the department, hospital management engaged directly with Hicklin after her statement was published and found inconsistencies in her account.
Mabona said Hicklin had referred to patients being affected at a “Ward 5,” but the hospital does not use this system.
“CMJAH does not have a Ward 5; the hospital uses a three-digit ward numbering system,” he said.
The department said this was not a minor detail.
“During the engagement, she acknowledged the factual error,” Mabona said, adding that “regrettably, no public correction was issued, leaving misleading information in the public domain.”
Warning against unverified claims
Mabona said the department was direct about what it believes is at stake when politicians make unverified statements about public healthcare.
“The department considers it irresponsible to make public allegations capable of causing panic and undermining confidence in public healthcare before verifying the facts,” he stated.
Furthermore, Mabona pointed out that most South Africans rely entirely on public facilities for their healthcare needs, and said statements made without proper verification “risk discouraging patients from seeking the care they need.”
Mabona did not deny that the health system faces difficulties, but framed these as being handled through routine channels.
“While the department acknowledges that challenges exist within the public healthcare system, these are continuously managed through established clinical and supply chain processes to ensure continuity of patient care,” he said.
He added that “isolated operational matters should not be misrepresented in a manner that unfairly damages public confidence in healthcare institutions.”
The department extended its criticism beyond Hicklin specifically.
“The department calls on all public representatives, regardless of political affiliation, to exercise responsible oversight by verifying information before making public statements and by correcting the public record when inaccuracies have been identified,” Mabona said.
Mabona reaffirmed the department’s broader commitment to the public.
“The department remains committed to transparency, accountability and ensuring that all Gauteng residents continue to receive quality, accessible and compassionate healthcare,” Mabona said.
