An investigation report released by the health ombud on Monday reveals that Johannesburg’s Helen Joseph Hospital is severely under-resourced and poorly managed, making it unfit for purpose.
DA politician Jack Bloom and health activists have long expressed concerns about the hospital. However, it only gained significant attention in September when former radio talk show host Thomas Holmes, also known as Tom London, shared his negative experience on social media, prompting Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to call for an investigation.
Established in 1962, this 630-bed tertiary hospital serves a population of 1.5 million. On average, it treats nearly 36,900 outpatients and almost 4,000 emergency patients each month, with over 1,660 patients being admitted to its wards.
Personal experience shared
In viral videos, London highlighted his three-day wait in the emergency department, unclean and broken facilities in his ward, and a lack of respect and compassion from doctors. He ultimately discharged himself and sought treatment at a private hospital instead.
While health ombud Taole Mokoena found that not all of London’s claims, including poor clinical care and derogatory treatment from staff, could be substantiated, he did corroborate his complaints regarding unsanitary conditions and ageing infrastructure. He noted that London’s ward had a fly infestation and broken taps and toilets.
The investigation revealed insufficient control over food and laundry services, as well as inadequate security, concluding that the hospital is understaffed and unable to adequately serve its patients.
Criticism of leadership
Mokoena harshly criticised the hospital’s leadership. He said the lack of a permanent CEO has created a vacuum, causing staff to work independently without accountability. Mokoena also highlighted issues in the hospital’s supply chain management, indicating that the absence of oversight allowed individuals to both procure services and authorise payments.
He urged the Gauteng health department to hire an independent forensic audit firm within two months to assess the competencies of the leadership and management staff, appoint hands-on artisans for day-to-day repairs, and promptly fill the CEO and other critical clinical roles.
Separate investigation findings
A separate investigation by the Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) also found that Helen Joseph Hospital was deteriorating.
It identified significant failures to meet a tertiary hospital’s quality and safety standards, including leaking steam pipes and a severe shortage of functioning toilets, forcing some staff to use facilities at nearby shopping malls.
OHSC inspectors confirmed the fly infestation in the ward where London was treated and noted a strong, offensive odour from urine-soaked mattresses. Patients resorted to using their own blankets, loose electrical fittings were mended with Sellotape, and only two bathtubs served a 32-bed ward for both male and female patients.
Furthermore, flies were found in other wards, litter cluttered the hospital grounds, and patients in the casualty department had to wear the same clothes for days because they did not have clean garments while awaiting admission.
This issue was especially critical for mental health patients amid a shortage of psychiatric beds. Patient files were found stacked on the floor, with water pipes leaking into the storage area for records.
Governance failures
OHSC CEO Siphiwe Mndaweni highlighted the hospital’s governance failures, describing the board as dysfunctional and noting that a permanent CEO has been in place since 2019. The OHSC recommended fast-tracking the appointment of a permanent CEO, revitalising the board, and accelerating the opening of a new mental health unit.
The Gauteng health department pledged to expedite the implementation of the report’s recommendations, stating that it has already begun province-wide initiatives to address the flagged issues.