Helen Joseph Hospital whistle-blower welcomes Health Ombuds report findings

While the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) has revealed that it was committed to fast-tracking the process to implement the recommendations outlined by both the Health Ombuds and Health Standards Compliance reports, radio personality, Thomas Holmes, known as Tom London, has welcomed the findings of the reports.

Holmes, who blew the whistle on the service delivery challenges at Helen Joseph Hospital last year, has indicated that the findings, even though they dispute some of his claims, will go a long way in resolving critical challenges at the hospital.

"The reaction to my viral video last year was because many people said to me they are not happy with how they were treated. Recently, even President Cyril Ramaphosa mentioned in his State of the Nation Address that they need to fix the health system of this country. Even Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi mentioned this during his G20 address," he said.

Human resource issues, leadership, and lack of teamwork were some of the issues flagged by the two reports. The investigation found that Helen Joseph Hospital has no integration of leadership as the hospital has displayed a siloed approach with a glaring lack of teamwork.

Furthermore, the investigation also indicated that critical issues in infrastructure, as well as overcrowding in the emergency department, lack of admission beds, and unavailability of porter services, could be improved only if all staff worked together as a team with a common purpose.

In September 2024, viral videos from Holmes, who at the time was one of the patients of the hospital, painted a grim picture of the situation at the hospital. He claimed that the alleged neglect and discourteous behaviour he experienced from hospital staff, as well as the overall poor conditions of the hospital, were some of the key issues that needed to be resolved.

His other complaints included alleged poor care, long waiting times, non-functional electrical plugs, a peeling ceiling, a broken water tap, apparent rudeness from some doctors, a stolen cellphone, a dead patient left in the ward for over four hours before being removed, and infrastructure disrepair.

Health Ombud, Professor Taole Resetselemang Mokoena, while briefing the media on Monday, said that while investigators found the clinical care provided to Holmes to be adequate, the hospital faced several challenges. 

“There was no proper control of linen inventory, leading to shrinkages and linen shortages at the hospital. There were also food shortages due to invoice non-payment. Patients receive food from their families that may be inappropriate for the patient's medical condition, and surplus food may lead to infestations of flies and other pests,” the Health Ombud said.

Responding to the findings, the DA in Gauteng commended the reports. However, the party's shadow MEC for health in the province, Jack Bloom, said that to achieve a real solution to these challenges, there has to be a radical overhaul of the Gauteng Health Department. 

"Most of the 37 Gauteng public hospitals have similar problems with staff shortages, poor management, and crumbling infrastructure. The reports make good recommendations for Helen Joseph Hospital, but they are unlikely to be implemented in full. 

Bloom said the province's problems are also a direct result of the budgetary constraints as well as a freeze in new appointments.

"Currently, there is a hiring freeze on hospital appointments as the department faces a budget deficit of more than R7.3 billion. This is why 30% of nursing posts are vacant at Helen Joseph Hospital, and the contracts of five doctors in the overburdened casualty department will terminate at the end of this month," Bloom stated.

Departmental spokesperson, Motalatale Modiba, indicated that despite the challenges, the department is still committed to rectifying some of the issues across all its healthcare facilities. 

"It must be pointed out that the department has already initiated province-wide interventions that are aimed at addressing the identified issues and beyond. These interventions include the reviewing of the organisational structure, which is currently awaiting approval processes.

"The infrastructure function within the department has been strengthened with the appointment of a deputy director-general, which has led to the development of a comprehensive maintenance and upgrade programme, including procurement of health technology, and the process of filling the CEO post at HJH is prioritised," said Modiba.

siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za