The Democratic Alliance (DA) has submitted an application, under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), to access a report compiled by the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) into the competency of hospital CEOs, which the Department of Health has thus far refused to release. The DA remains deeply concerned about the quality of healthcare being provided by state hospitals, and regards it as imperative that this report is released to cast further light on the state of hospital management in the public sector.

This week’s tragic death of five babies at the Jubilee Hospital in Pretoria, allegedly due to faulty incubators, is the latest in a series of infant deaths in state hospitals that has been attributed largely to poor management and insufficient resources. These most recent baby deaths underscore the urgency with which the problems affecting state hospitals need to be addressed.

If it proves true that the incubators at the Jubilee Hospital are not fully functional, the conduct of the hospital’s CEO, Damario Magano, in failing to ensure that one of the hospital’s most basic requirements – working equipment – is not met, must be called into question.

In 2010, six babies died at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Johannesburg. In March this year, following the deaths of 29 babies at the Cecilia Makiwane Hospital in East London, I called for a full investigation into all neonatal wards across South Africa.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has himself admitted that there is a management crisis in public hospitals due to under-qualified and poorly performing CEOs. The Minister requested that the investigation into the competency of CEOs be conducted by the DBSA, and has admitted that the findings were alarming. The South African public, millions of whom have to make use of the state healthcare system, have a right to know the details of this report, and what steps the Department of Health plans to take to amend the problems it identifies.

While the DA commends Minister Motsoaledi for conceding that the management of public hospitals is in crisis, he must display a sincere commitment to addressing this problem. The first step is to make public the DBSA’s report.