Die minister van gesondheid, dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, en sy departement het geen inligting beskikbaar oor hoeveel mense weens nalatigheid in Suid-Afrika se staatshospitale sterf nie, en het tewens geen idee wat die stand van nalatigheid in die hospitale is nie, sê adv. Anton Alberts, de VF Plus se parlementêre woordvoerder oor gesondheid.
Adv. Alberts sê dié skokkende stand van sake het aan die lig gekom in antwoord op ‘n geskrewe parlementêre vraag oor die aangeleentheid. (Sien die volledige vrae en antwoorde onder).
Hy sê wat die situasie selfs erger maak, is die feit dat selfs na die vlaag van landwye verontwaardiging oor die dood van meer as 100 psigiatriese pasiënte, daar steeds geen poging aan die kant van die minister of die departement was om ‘n stelsel in plek te sit om nalatigheid in staatshospitale te monitor nie.
Die hoofvraag was hoeveel mense elke jaar sedert 2009 weens nalatigheid deur mediese en ander personeel dood is in staatshospitale, in watter hospitale dit gebeur het, en wat die aard van die nalatigheid was.
Op hierdie, en die ander vrae, was die antwoord bloot dat sulke voorvalle tot tug- en/of regstappe sou lei, en dat die antwoorde daarom by die owerhede gesoek moet word wat daarmee sou handel.
“Dit is absoluut skokkend dat die minister erken hy het geen idee hoeveel mense weens nalatigheid in staatshospitale sterf nie. Dit is tog onmoontlik om so totaal in die duister te wees oor so ‘n ernstige saak.
“Die departement is nou eers besig om die inligting te soek na aanleiding van my navraag. Die departement moet sekerlik weet hoeveel eise vir nalatigheid geskik is deur die departement? Maar duidelik weet hy dit ook nie.
“Dit is verstommend dat die departement van gesondheid nou antwoorde by die departement van justisie moet gaan soek oor wat in sy eie hospitale aangaan. Hoe kan die departement sy dienslewering verbeter as hy self nie weet hoe groot die probleem rondom nalatigheid is nie?
“Dit is duidelik dat die departement blindelings die afgrond in bestuur word. Sonder inligting kan jy nie bestuursaanpassings maak nie.
“Dit is geen wonder dat soveel mense in staatshospitale en onder toesig van die departement en provinsiale departemente sterf nie. En tragies genoeg weet niemand wat die ware omvang van die probleem is nie,” sê adv. Alberts.
Kontaknommers: 082 391 3117 / 083 419 5403
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO. 2679
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 02 DECEMBER 2016
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 42)
Adv A de W Alberts (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Health:†
(1) (a) How many persons in each year since 2009 died due to negligence by medical and other personnel of state hospitals, (b) in which hospital did each death from such negligence occur and (c)(i) which form of negligence resulted in the deaths and (ii) how many deaths resulted from such negligence;
(2) which measures have been put in place or will be put in place to eliminate such deaths;
(3) (a)(i) how many and (ii) what type of cases of negligence have been reported to the health ombud since it came into existence, (b) how many of the different type of charges were resolved and resolved in total and (c) how does the (i) national mortality rate since 2009 and (ii) number of deaths that have occurred nationally and were reported to the health ombud, compare to internationally accepted standards as prescribed by the World Health Organisation and/or other legitimate health organisations?
NW3118E
REPLY:
(1) (a) Honourable Member, the question of whether a person died from negligence by medical and other personnel in a hospital, whether state or private, is not a medical diagnosis. It is a conclusion that can only be reached as a result of a court hearing or a hearing by the various statutory bodies like the Health Professions Council, the Nursing Council, the Pharmacy Council or the Allied Health Professions Council.
Hence we will have to peruse court records with the Department of Justice to clinch such information.
We will also have to peruse the rulings of the various statutory councils.
We will then be in a position to provide you with figures.
(b) and (c) The information so clinched as stated above will answer these two questions. Hence we will have to wait for that information first.
(2) Every hospital, clinic, health facility and health worker use special protocols and practices to avoid death as much as possible.
(3) The Health Ombuds, since starting work six months ago, has not yet reported on any case. This week the Office announced that it will issue the first report on the 18th of January 2017. Honourable Member has to be patient to wait for that.
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