Bara Hospital Without A CEO For More Than A Year

The Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital has operated without a permanent Chief Executive Office (CEO) since January last year, but an appointment process is in place for a new CEO.

This is revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

According to Ramokgopa: “The vacant position of Chief Executive Officer was advertised in the national media with a closing date of 15 December 2016. The department received four applications in this regard and the appointment process is in place.”

She added “no appointment has been finalised.”

It is highly regrettable that this large hospital has suffered without a permanent CEO for so long.

Former Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu is to blame as she removed the previous CEO Dr Sandile Mfenyana without any explanation and dithered in finding a replacement.

I hope that Ramokgopa moves speedily to finalise the appointment of a dynamic and competent CEO to lead this major hospital which treats many thousands of patients.

 

 

Media Enquiries
 
 
 
Jack Bloom MPL
DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health
082 333 4222
 
 

34 Vacancies at Bara Psychiatric Unit

Bara Psychiatric Unit

The Psychiatric Unit at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital has a severe staff shortage, with 34 posts vacant.

This is revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

Nurse vacancies are highest – the unit is short of 11 enrolled nurse assistants, nine professional nurses and five enrolled nurses.

Six medical posts are empty, including four specialists, one registrar and one medical officer.

Management is lacking as the unit is currently lacking an Operational Manager and two Assistant Managers.

According to Mahlangu, processes are underway to fill all the posts by the end of September this year.

Patient Assualts

Beds at the unit are currently 94% full.

Mahlangu confirms in her reply that a doctor is being charged with the assault of a patient and bringing the Department into disrepute.

According to reports, a 16-year-old boy was beaten so badly that he ending up lying on the floor in a pool of blood. His father was handed a tooth and told that his son lost it biting an elderly man who tried to help.

There is no excuse for any violence against a patient, but short-staffing could be a contributing factor in this alleged incident.

I hope that Mahlangu fulfils her promise to fill vacancies as under-staffing is stressful for staff and undermines care for mentally ill patients.

 

Media enquiries:

Jack Bloom MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

082 333 4222

[Image source]

Disgraceful barring of media from Bara Hospital

I am appalled that members of the media were yesterday barred access to the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

 

According to a report, they were invited to accompany the Public Service Commission on an inspection of the hospital, but the hospital’s CEO Sandile Mfenyane said he was following instructions from the Gauteng Health Department in barring them.

 

This is utterly disgraceful. We seem to be going backwards in access to hospitals to investigate service delivery problems.

 

I have previously been banned from Bara Hospital, and last year I was escorted off the premises of Helen Joseph Hospital by security guards because the department said I did not have permission to be there.

 

According to the Constitution, public representatives have the right to do unannounced inspections, and media also have rights that have now been denied by this hospital.

 

The Gauteng Health Department should respect the Constitution and allow reasonable access to hospitals to assess conditions.

 

They are undermining democracy and are no doubt fearful that poor treatment of patients will be exposed, like the photograph of two babies in a cardboard box that a newspaper published some years ago following a visit to Bara Hospital.

 

Media enquiries:

Jack Bloom MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

082 333 4222