Health ombud declares declares Rahima Moosa an unsafe hospital

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An investigation at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital has found that the institution is filthy, neglected and unsafe.

Health ombud Malegapuru Makgoba read the report to Health Minister Joe Phaahla at a media briefing on Tuesday, and disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against the hospital’s chief executive, Dr Nozuko Mkabayi.

The report found that, among other things, expectant mothers sleep on the floor at the hospital in Coronationville, Johannesburg.

Makgoba said the investigation was conducted through the analysis and triangulation of information and documentary evidence received from the Gauteng department of health and the health professionals at the hospital. A further 34 people were interviewed from 4 August to 29 November 2022.

“We found that it was true that expectant mothers were sleeping on the floor,” Makgoba said.

This allegation came to light after Patriotic Alliance member of the mayoral council for health and social development Ashley Sauls shared a video of expectant mothers sleeping on the hospital’s floor via Twitter last year.

Sauls posted the video on 1 April, captioning it: “Pregnant women at Rahima Moosa hospital are sleeping on the floor for up to 3 days. I went there immediately and sadly found it to be true. We cannot allow this to continue, we must restore the HEART of service.”

Days after the video went viral, Gauteng member of the executive council for health Nomathemba Mokgethi visited the hospital. She said the entity served large numbers of pregnant women and that even after repurposing 16 beds to bring the total number of antenatal beds to 56, this still was not enough.

In response, hospital chief executive Mkabayi said the facility dealt with complex cases that had been referred from clinics, but this wasn’t always the case.

“We have got a huge number of patients, in particular that come outside the borders, and they have not gone to the clinic, so there is nothing planned,” she said.

Mkabayi explained that the hospital had a policy of not turning anyone back, and therefore  some women had to be accommodated on chairs for no more than two days when the hospital was operating at full capacity.

The report found that at least 40% of the patients were from other countries.

Makgoba also spoke of complaints by Democratic Alliance member Jack Bloom to the Gauteng provincial legislature on 8 March last year about Mkabayi being absent from the hospital for most of the time.

The report found that the chief executive had been working full-time at the hospital for just 182 days since her appointment on 1 January 2021. In the investigation, Mkabayi failed to provide proof of the dates she attended virtual meetings from home. 

She also was unable to provide evidence to prove that Dr Freddy Kgongwana, the acting deputy director general for hospital and specialised services at the health department, had granted her permission to work from home.

Makgoba said the report recommended that a suitable and permanent chief executive be appointed within three months. 

He highlighted that the hospital is old; it was built in 1943 and has had no substantial upgrades since.

The report also recommended that the Gauteng premier ensure that Rahima Moosa hospital is refurbished within six months.