The Health Ombud report, released by Professor Taole Mokoena, has revealed concerning findings from an investigation into the treatment, complications and deaths of psychiatric patients at the Northern Cape Mental Health Hospital (NCMHH) and the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital (RMSH).
The report highlights issues such as prolonged damage to electricity infrastructure, patients freezing to death, acute staff shortages, dangerous medical negligence, and poor facility conditions, including broken windows and leaking roofs.
The investigation was initiated following a complaint lodged by Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, following complications and deaths of psychiatric patients in the Northern Cape hospitals last year.
This follows the referral of three patients – John Louw, Cyprian Mohoto and Petrus de Bruin – from NCMHH to RMHSH in critical condition last July.
The investigation revealed that two patients from NCMHH had died. One of them, Mohoto, passed away on 16 July 2024, at RMHSH after being referred there from NCMHH for treatment.
The other patient, Tshepo Mdimbaza, unexpectedly died at NCMHH on 3 August 2024.
According to the Health Ombud, the deaths and illnesses occurred when the NCMHH was facing electricity supply problems caused by theft and vandalism of electrical infrastructure.
WATCH |
The health establishment was relying on a diesel-powered generator for its electricity supply.
The investigation uncovered multiple critical issues, with patients exposed to extreme cold during electricity outages, with one patient dying from hypothermia and others developing serious medical complications.
It also revealed that two patients from the NCMHH died due to poor conditions, including a lack of electricity and inadequate medical care.
One patient died of hypothermia, another of pneumonia, and a third of a stroke.
“Patients were freezing to death,” Mokoena said on Wednesday.
According to the report, Mdimbaza died from hypothermia. Mohoto developed multilobar pneumonia and subsequently passed away. The third patient, Louw, suffered a stroke due to severe hypothermia, and the fourth patient, De Bruin, also experienced hypothermia.
Mokoena said the lack of heating exposed the patients and personnel to extreme winter cold.
Meanwhile, the pyjamas and blankets that were procured were of “poor design and flimsy material”, not capable of providing the necessary warmth, with insufficient general linen.
“Nurses were forced to work in the dark using cellphone torches, and electromagnetic locks were non-functional, creating major security risks,” Mokoena said.
He highlighted key findings, including NCMHH lacking emergency resuscitation equipment and relevant drugs.
“Thus, patients could not receive the necessary emergency resuscitation with dire consequences, for example, patient Mdimbaza, who died at NCMHH, and patient De Bruin before transfer to RMSH.”
The probe also found staff operating at only 53% capacity, junior nurses managing high-acuity units without proper supervision, and a lack of professional leadership.
In addition, the Health Ombud stated that both nursing and medical staff do not keep up-to-date patient vital signs, and there was generally poor record keeping.
Mokoena said it was an indictment that NCMHH took a year to repair the damaged electricity infrastructure, whereas the adjacent private hospitals managed to repair their affected electricity infrastructure within one month.
“These shortcomings have not been allowed to prevail; the patients who died could still be alive today,” said Mokoena.
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi told the media that there could be potential professional misconduct by medical staff and suggested a referral of medical personnel to the South African Health Professions Council (HPCSA).
The Minister emphasised poor leadership, saying: “My conclusion is that... leadership is not working together. I don’t think they even have management meetings or mortality meetings.”
The Minister also announced the establishment of a National Mental Health Review Committee to comprehensively investigate and restart hospital management processes. – SAnews.gov.za
