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The Democratic Alliance (DA) believes the tragic deaths of six babies at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, highlights the need for standards to be implemented at all public hospitals and the immediate establishment of the Office of Standards Compliance.

Currently, public hospitals are not obliged to meet minimum standards of healthcare, as the Office of Standards Compliance does not have the capacity to inspect minimum standards. Private hospitals on the other hand are inspected every year in order to continue operating. The National Health Act of 2003 stipulates that the Office of Standards Compliance must be established by the Director-General in order to ensure all hospitals are inspected and meet 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.

The DA believes that if this office was in place and more importantly fully functional, it would have taken measures to prevent overcrowding in neonatal wards and ensure proper infection control. These measures would have gone a long way in preventing the deaths of these six little babies.

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

The DA calls for a full public enquiry into the incident, and for all public hospitals throughout the country to be inspected as a matter of urgency to ensure that all maternity wards are practicing proper infection control. We further call on the Director-General of Health, Precious Matsoso, to bolster the Office of Standards Compliances and to provide leadership in ensuring it is equipped to effectively carry out its duties.