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The Democratic Alliance (DA) finds it unacceptable that the Department of Health had not complied with the National Health Act, which requires that the Office of Standards Compliance be established by the Director-General to ensure that all hospitals are inspected and meet minimum standards. The Office of Standards Compliance is severely under-capacitated and it is our view that the needless and tragic deaths of six babies at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, and reportedly of more than 180 babies at the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha, may have been avoided had this Office been functioning properly.

The DA calls for a full independent investigation into these incidents. In most cases the families that suffered a loss, depend on the state, a state that is failing them by not meeting standards. The findings of this investigation must be made public. More importantly, we are calling on the Department of Health to act over and above admitting responsibility and offer compensation to the grief stricken families, and provide help with the funeral costs. The DA wants assurance from the Minister of Health that all possible efforts are made to prevent this from happening again. I will be writing to him to have all public hospital neo-natal wards throughout the country inspected as a matter of urgency, to ensure that all are practicing proper infection control. If need be, the Minister must rope in private sector expertise to assist in these inspections. We further call on the Director-General of Health, Precious Matsoso, to establish and properly resource the Office of Standards Compliances.

The DA has made calls over the past seven years for the ANC government to act to curb a looming disaster in the public heath sector, and the Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi's, public apology albeit very sincere, is of little consolation to the families of the babies that died as a result of his department's failure to properly carry out duties. Currently, minimum standards of healthcare are not monitored and enforced at public hospitals and the Office of Standards Compliance does not have the capacity to inspect and thereby ensure minimum standards. This Office is not functional at all, with only a head of office, secretary and admin clerk. Some directorates, such as the Directorate of Certification are without a Director; whilst other directorates are still being set up, and have numerous vacancies. Private hospitals on the other hand are inspected every year in order to continue operating.

Standards must be implemented and enforced at all public hospitals and the Office of Standards Compliance must be established without delay to ensure that this happens.

Government cannot wait for another tragedy to take place before action is taken.