Parliament, Thursday, 24 April 2025 – The Portfolio Committee on Health will tomorrow conduct an oversight visit to Tembisa and Rahima Moosa hospitals in the Gauteng Province. The visit is part of the constitutional oversight role of Parliament over the executive.
The committee noted with sadness the recent two incidents of fire that severely hit Tembisa Hospital and leaving hundreds of people in Tembisa and nearby communities without healthcare services. “It is important that the committee visits the hospital to get a thorough briefing on both fire incidents and to hear plans in place for the rebuilding of any damaged parts of the hospital and to return the hospital to its full functionality.
The committee is concerned about the trend of the burning of Gauteng based hospitals following the fire that broke at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in 2021. “We call on all the hospital administrations and all the key role-players to do everything possible to prevent the scourge of the continuation of the burning of hospitals,” said Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, the Chairperson of the committee.
The purpose of the visit to Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital is, among other things, to assess the progress made in responding to findings and recommendations made in the report by the Health Ombud. In its report, the Health Ombud points serious issues, including crumbling infrastructure, filthy conditions, and inadequate facilities. Furthermore the report mentions that the hospital fails to provide essential services that include blood bank, laboratory and ICU.
The committee views the implementation of the Health Ombud recommendations as alfa and omega of all the efforts of returning the hospital to its former glory. Dr Dhlomo said assessing the implementation of the recommendations at Rahima Moosa Hospital is one of the priorities of the committee’s oversight visit to the hospital especially given the critical service the hospital provides to the people of Gauteng.
Following the visit to the two hospitals, the committee will hold an engagement with the MEC of Health in Gauteng to get the picture of the public healthcare in the province.
Details of the visit are as follows:
Date: Friday, 25 April 2025
Time: 10:00
Venue: Tembisa Hospital
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, DR SIBONGISENI DHLOMO.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Malatswa Molepo (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 8438
Cell: 081 512 7920
E-mail: mmolepo@parliament.gov.za
Arrange a tour