Lethal Neglect and Deaths in Kimberley Hospital
An explosive investigation by the Health Ombud has uncovered a litany of catastrophic failures and lethal neglect at the Northern Cape Mental Health Hospital. The hospital staff left patients in dangerously cold conditions without electricity. These conditions led to at least two deaths and caused severe harm to others.
Following a complaint from Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi in October 2024, Health Ombud Professor Taole Mokoena initiated an investigation and released the damning report.. It paints a grim picture of a facility in a state of near-total collapse. Junior staff supervised vulnerable patients in a facility that lacked basic utilities.. All this led to widespread lethal neglect.
The investigation focused on the period from July to August 2024, the heart of winter. During this time, temperatures in Kimberley frequently plummet below freezing. The hospital had been without mains electricity for over two years. This resulted from cable theft and vandalism at a nearby substation in 2022.
While private facilities in the area restored power within days, the report slams “dysfunctional supply chain management processes”. It identifies lethal neglect within the provincial health department for leaving the hospital powerless. A single generator was unable to service large parts of the building. This situation rendered heating systems and critical medical equipment useless.
A Catalogue of Failures Uncovered
Professor Mokoena’s findings describe a horror scene within the hospital, which only opened in 2019. Nurses resorted to using their mobile phones as torches to navigate darkened wards. Management left broken windows unrepaired and the security doors non-functional, while sewage was reportedly seeping from shower drains.
The ombud found that pyjamas and bedding procured for patients were “thin, of poor quality and wholly inadequate for winter conditions”.
The facility was also critically understaffed, with only 323 of its 593 positions filled. This resulted in underqualified enrolled nurses and nursing assistants being unlawfully placed in charge of entire wards. These problems can be described as lethal neglect.
Systemic Collapse and Calls for Accountability
The investigation also unearthed shocking procurement irregularities. The provincial health department had reportedly procured a range of equipment not required by the hospital. This included items like golf carts and specialised beds. Meanwhile, they failed to provide the essentials.
The ombud has recommended that the Health Department launch a full forensic investigation into the procurement processes for the hospital. He also called for disciplinary action to be taken against several state employees. This includes the provincial supply chain manager due to lethal neglect.
Reacting to the findings, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said the report revealed extensive management failures across the board.
He said if he were a physician and were to make a diagnosis, he would diagnose multi-system organ failure.