Limpopo probe finds nurse was managing hospital

A nurse with no administrative qualifications or management experience was acting as the manager of a Limpopo hospital when four infants died there.

A health department probe found bad management and absentee doctors were largely to blame for the deaths at the George Masebe state hospital in the first week of January, Beeld reported today.

The results of the probe were released by Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi in Pretoria yesterday.

According to the newspaper, the investigation found the hospital’s clinical manager and a number of doctors were absent without leave at the time of the fatalities.

It found doctors often arrived for ward rounds after 9am, and did not do ward rounds at all after hours, on weekends or on public holidays.

There was also no system in place to identify critically ill patients or to ensure they received the appropriate attention or intensive care when a new shift took over.

The investigators recommended the hospital’s acting manager be replaced with a competent appointee.

Motsoaledi reportedly said the absent doctors had been reported to the Health Professions Council of SA.

- Sapa