Sharp rise in patient harm at Gauteng hospitals

NATIONAL NEWS - Incompetence, substandard hospital conditions, inadequate infrastructure, lack of essential equipment and insufficient staffing are among the causes of patient deaths and injuries in Gauteng’s public hospitals.

Health experts warn these failings are driving a rise in serious adverse events (SAEs) – incidents that can lead to injury, permanent disability, or death.

Responding to DA questions in the provincial legislature, Gauteng health and wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko said public hospitals recorded 7 386 SAEs last year, up from 7 117 the year before.

Patient harm in Gauteng hospitals rises sharply

The department insists it is working to address the problem. Yet, statistics show a steady rise: 6 910 cases in 2021, 4 701 in 2020, and 4 170 in 2019.

Dr Atiya Mosam, public health physician at Mayibuye Health, described the surge as “deeply concerning, but multifactorial”.

She pointed to chronic understaffing, resource shortages, infrastructure decay and inadequate supervision of health care workers still in training.

“Many health care workers are overburdened, fatigued and working under extreme pressure, which inevitably heightens the risk of errors,” she said.

“Addressing this requires urgent systemic reform – strengthening staffing levels, improving working conditions, ensuring adequate training and supervision, and restoring accountability across all levels of care.”

Health expert Lindiwe Mahlangu of the Positive Women’s Network echoed these concerns, stressing the rise in SAEs raises questions about patient safety and the quality of health care services.

Concerns about patient safety

“Medical negligence – errors in diagnosis, treatment, or patient management due to negligence or lack of attention to detail – is a significant contributor,” she said.

“Continuous training, monitoring and adherence to best practices can help prevent such incidents.”

Mahlangu added that poor communication among health care providers, lack of coordination in patient care and unclear procedures often lead to adverse events.

“Enhancing communication channels and standardising protocols can reduce errors. Implementing robust quality assurance programs, regular audits and monitoring systems can help identify areas of improvement and prevent SAEs.”

She also highlighted incompetence and lack of skills among practitioners as contributing factors.

“Recurring incidents may indicate gaps in training standards. Regular training updates, certification requirements and performance evaluations can help maintain competence. Holding individuals and institutions accountable for patient harm is crucial to improving care.”

55 disciplinary actions taken – DA

Jack Bloom, DA representative in the provincial legislature, criticised the department’s response.

Despite thousands of cases, only 55 disciplinary actions were taken, he said.

“The department claims to implement measures to reduce SAEs, but these are clearly failing as cases rise year after year. Patients should be healed in hospitals, not suffer injury or death because of poor care.”

Bloom also warned of the financial consequences: “High payouts for medical negligence are another outcome of SAEs. The DA will push for management changes at problem hospitals that account for a disproportionate number of incidents, as well as rectification of staff and equipment shortages.

“Robust disciplinary measures are needed to curb poor performance that harms patients.”

The growing crisis in Gauteng’s public hospitals underscores the urgent need for systemic, Bloom said.

Without decisive action to address staffing, infrastructure, accountability, and training, experts fear that SAEs will continue to climb – placing patients at risk and eroding trust in the province’s healthcare system, he said.