Healthcare accountability must advance alongside artificial intelligence (AI) and genomics to improve patient safety, according to former health ombud Professor Makgoba. – Sunday Times (11 October 2026)
Makgoba was the keynote speaker at the recent annual national conference of the SA Medico-legal Association.
Investments in AI should be paired with staff training, effective incident reporting and clear decision-making responsibility to assist organisations in translating technological capability into safer care.
He urged professionals to confront medical errors; warning that technological progress cannot replace human responsibility for clinical decisions. He also called for an ethical framework that better reflects SA’s constitutional values and cultural diversity.
Advances in genomics and AI could strengthen diagnosis, predict disease risks and support personalised treatment, Makgoba said. Consequently, healthcare is moving towards more precise, preventive and predictive services.
“However, professionals must still balance patients’ interests with their autonomy, particularly when making end-of-life decisions.
Makgoba expects digital tools and telemedicine to change how hospitals and clinics operate. Accountability should require practitioners, managers and institutions to own their decisions and address their consequences, said Makgoba.