By Johannah Malogadihlare
The Gauteng health department is taking action to address the safety of patients following a woman who committed suicide at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital in Tshwane.
Gauteng health and wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko said on
Wednesday that a number of initiatives were in place to address patients’ safety in health facilities and reduce serious adverse events (SAEs) across the province.
The government was providing specialised training to all quality assurance officials and clinical managers to improve their skills in the prevention, reporting and management of SAEs.
A 36-year-old woman patient was found dead at the hospital over the
weekend. She had hanged herself with a cellphone cable in a bathroom.
The MEC said in a statement that healthcare facilities had adopted a proactive approach by conducting self-assessments to identify risks and areas that needed improvement.
“…the department has also launched awareness campaigns targeting hospital and district health services staff, promoting vigilance in identifying clinical risks and ensuring prompt reporting and decision making,” said Nkomo-Ralehoko.
The department recorded 2273 incidents from January to date on SAEs. They included clinical administration, healthcare associated infections, medication or intravenous fluids and patient accidents.
“As part of our commitment to quality improvement, we have taken
disciplinary action against 29 officials from 10 health facilities. We are
dedicated to implementing the recommendations from investigations to improve safety protocols across our facilities,” said the MEC.
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