Soweto hospital yet to implement directives issued after probe

Bheki Mlangeni Hospital in Soweto is yet to implement some of the recommendations made in a report compiled after an investigation into serious incidents at the hospital in 2020.

Cases reported at the time included a psychiatric patient murdering an elderly man, another being fatally stabbed and numerous incidents of assault and damage to property by patients.

According to a written reply by Gauteng health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi to questions in the Gauteng legislature, the Open Water company has completed its investigation of the hospital but “due to internal capacity restraints, [the hospital] is still in the process of engaging the office of the premier to assist with the implementation of some of the recommendations as contained in the final investigation report”.

DA Gauteng shadow health MEC Jack Bloom said the delay was “inexcusable”.

Bloom reported on Monday that an operating theatre at the hospital has been broken for three months.

He said this latest issue was a “symptom of a far larger problem at this troubled hospital”.

“The investigation into these matters has dragged on and on.

“How can it be that an operating theatre is not fixed speedily?” 

He said the DA would continue to push for the public release of the Open Water investigation, “and speedy implementation of its recommendations to fix the hospital”. 

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