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Serious Adverse Events (SAEs) have soared at Gauteng public hospitals, with 6910 SAEs recorded last year compared to 4701 SAEs in 2020 and 4170 SAEs in 2019.

A SAE is defined as an event that results in an unintended harm to the patient by an act of commission or omission rather than by the underlying disease or condition of the patient.

This latest information on SAEs is revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

According to Mokgethi, the causes of injury or death included the following:

• clinical process/procedure
• healthcare-associated infections
• medication/IV fluids
• medical device/equipment
• blood or blood products
• behaviour
• patient accidents and self-inflicted injury
• pressure ulcers acquired during/after admission
• infrastructure/buildings/fixtures

Mokgethi says that corrective measures include:

• counselling
• in-service training
• consequence management

I am alarmed that SAEs continue to rise, with terrible effects on patients and a continuing rise in medical negligence claims.

Last year, the department received 157 new summonses which claimed R1.6 billion for medical negligence.

We need drastically improved management in hospitals, the filling of staff vacancies and proper equipment, as well as good training and disciplinary measures for non-performance.

Issued by Jack Bloom MPL - DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health