According to a report by the Gauteng Health Department, all 37 Gauteng hospitals did not completely comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act’s health and safety rules (OHSA).
The purpose of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 is to provide for the health and safety of persons at work, as well as the health and safety of persons in connection with the use of plant and machinery, as well as the protection of persons other than those at work from health and safety hazards arising from or in connection with the activities of those at work.
GAUTENG HOSPITALS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH OHS ACT
According to the third quarterly report by the Gauteng Department of Health tabled in the provincial legislature this week, none of the province’s 37 hospitals are compliant with all 23 regulations in the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).
The report which covered the period between October to December 2020, also found that there was only progress reported at 6 hospitals in the province.
The 6 hospitals, include Tara Hospital, Kopanong Hospital, Sebokeng, Sefako Makgatho University (SMU) Oral department, Tshwane District and Far East Rand, are compliant with six of the statutory requirements of the OHSA.
These requirements include the designation of representatives to serve on health and safety committees, and doing a Hazardous Identification and Risk Assessment.
The Democratic Alliance in Gauteng said the Gauteng Department of Health admitted that other hospitals are not doing this, and do not even send the minutes of meetings.
The party said it is extremely disturbing that many years of poor spending on maintenance has led to the parlous state of the country’s hospitals which risks the lives of patients and staff.
“We need a proper plan with adequate funding to ensure that all Gauteng’s public hospitals are protected against avoidable health and safety risks.”
The DA also said that fires are a worrying hazard as there have been four hospital fires in Gauteng in the last seven years, including the devastating fire at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital last year.
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