SA’s Health Ombud, Professor, Taole Mokoena, identified major safety and governance failures in two patient deaths in Tshwane, spanning both public and private healthcare. – Business Day (24 March 2026)
The first case concerns psychiatric patient Lerato Mohlamme, who died in June 2024 at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital. The report cites rights violations, including punitive withholding of food and medication, prolonged restraints, unsafe seclusion, and poor response to a fire due to locked exits and missing keys.
Infrastructure weaknesses and inadequate monitoring worsened risks.
In a second investigation, the death of a newborn at a private neonatal ICU was linked to a prescribing error and poor communication during shift handovers, when adrenaline was administered incorrectly. While no deliberate neglect was found, the incident highlighted medication safety gaps. The ombud stressed that safety risks affect both sectors, recommending stronger governance controls, improved staff training, better emergency preparedness, auditable medication systems and enhanced supervision to prevent future tragedies.
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