For a soundbite of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo:
Parliament, Saturday, 26 April 2025 – The Portfolio Committee on Health has urged law enforcement agencies to expedite investigation into the two incidents of fire at Tembisa Tertiary Hospital during its oversight visit to the hospital yesterday.
The committee visited the Gauteng Province’s Tembisa and Rahima Moosa Mother and Child hospitals yesterday as part of its constitutional mandate of oversight over the executive. Tembisa Hospital was hit by fire two times, the first time was on 19 April 2025 and the second one took place three days after the first one, on Wednesday, 23 April 2025.
In calling for investigations into the incidents of fire, the Chairperson of the committee, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, said while the committee refrains from pre-empting the outcome of the investigation, but the starting of the fire in one of the busiest sections of the hospital creates a legitimate suspicion on the one hand, and the unlinkage of the second fire to the first one equally creates suspicion on the other hand.
Dr Dhlomo said the investigation must be expedited to ensure accountability and to guide preventative measures. The committee acknowledged and appreciated the rapid response of the hospital staff to the fire disaster which prevented the loss of life at the hospital. Furthermore, the committee noted the report that the hospital was at 79% compliant with Occupational Health and Safety prescripts before the fire.
The committee welcomed the intention of the Gauteng Department of Health to take over the function of infrastructure development and maintenance from the national Department of Public Works and Infrastructure as a way of cost containment and to accelerate the implementation of projects.
The challenge of infrastructure development which manifests itself at national and provincial levels, has negatively impacted the roll-out of maintenance and infrastructure development. The committee is noting from the reports it receives from time to time that provinces that have voluntarily taken the responsibility of infrastructure development from the national competency upon themselves, have been successful in addressing infrastructural challenges in their provinces.
Meanwhile, the committee cautioned against the decision of delegating an unfunded responsibility of the provision of tertiary services to the Tembisa Hospital and without capacitating and positioning the hospital for that responsibility. A tertiary facility should ordinarily have a sound capacity, and appropriately resourced to cope with advanced treatment demands.
The committee has called on the provincial health department to capacitate community healthcare centres and to monitor them to play their role of the provision of the basic healthcare services to the people to avoid the inevitable transference and creation of additional workload on the shoulders of Tembisa Hospital and premature death of the people especially poorest and vulnerable people.
The committee also welcomed contingency plans put in place by the hospital to continue on a sustainable basis the provision of healthcare services from its sections where infrastructure was completely destroyed by fire.
At Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, the committee was impressed by progress made by the hospital regarding its implementation of the Health Ombud recommendations. Although infrastructure improvements are commendable, the committee pointed out that the inability of the hospital to accommodate more patients from the community it serves due to limited bed space capacity is underwhelming and a plan must be found to address that challenge.
The committee heard that the hospital’s neonatal ward sometimes exceeds its normal operation rate by 120-200% to accommodate all those who needed hospital services. Noting that with appreciation, the committee has encouraged the centre management to maintain the acceptable quality healthcare service and infrastructure standard to avoid regression to a situation that resulted in Health Ombud investigation.
Regarding whistleblowers, the committee stressed the need for their heightened protection as they play an important role in exposing wrongdoing and to fight it before it is deepened and become out of hand.
The committee commended the private sector for its progressive collaboration with the hospital and called for its sustainability. The committee also expressed its appreciation to the provincial government for the procurement of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging and CT scans that are adding a remarkable value to the improvement of the provision of healthcare services at the hospital.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, DR SIBONGISENI DHLOMO.
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