The Gauteng Health Department says allegations of high mortality rates and mismanagement at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital are misleading. Image: Supplied
Jack Bloom
1Min
South Africa
The Gauteng Health Department says allegations of high mortality rates and mismanagement at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital are misleading and not backed by verified data.
The Gauteng Department of Health has on Wednesday dismissed the claims made by Jack Bloom regarding cardiac surgery services at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital saying they are misleading and unverified.
This comes after the DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health Jack Bloom said on Tuesday that heart patients were dying due to poor surgical outcomes at the grossly mismanaged Cardiothoracic Department of Charlotte Maxeke but calls for an independent commission of inquiry have been ignored.
In a statement the department emphasised that Charlotte Maxeke Hospital clinical outcomes in cardiothoracic surgery, including mortality rates, were evaluated using internationally accepted methods that consider patient complexity, comorbidities, and procedural risk.
Bloom added that the actual heart surgery mortality rate at Charlotte Maxeke is approximately 20%, which is a catastrophic failure. Overseas, mortality rates exceeding 2–3% would immediately trigger a formal inquiry.
However the department said any interpretation of data that omits these factors is fundamentally flawed and risks misleading the public.
“The claim of an approximate 20% mortality rate is not backed by verified risk-adjusted clinical data and should not be viewed in isolation. For accuracy and integrity, any statements about clinical performance must be supported by verifiable data, including transparent methodology, proper benchmarking, and risk-adjusted analysis.”
“Contrary to the assertions, there is no evidence to support claims of a lack of transparency or a “cover-up.” Clinical performance at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital is subject to ongoing review through established governance, audit, and oversight processes created to ensure accountability and patient safety,” the department said.
The department said staff shortages have impacted service delivery. As a result, surgical procedures were reduced to prevent staff burnout and ensure patient safety and quality care.
However, these staffing challenges do not indicate a system failure, as they are being handled according to standard professional practices.
