By: Natasha Archary
Rahima Moosa Hospital has received backlash after a video showing pregnant women sleeping on the hospital’s floors went viral.
MMC for Health and Social Development in the City of Johannesburg, Ashley Sauls I, has exposed the hospital after receiving complaints from members of the public.
According to Sauls, he received reports that there were pregnant women who were sleeping on hospital floors for up to 3-days without receiving medical attention.
The women in the video are heavily pregnant and were reportedly at the hospital for hours before the MMC’s unplanned visit.
Got news at 00:30 that pregnant women at Rahima Moosa hospital are sleeping on the floor for up to 3 days, I went there immediately and sadly found it to be true. We cannot allow this to continue 😠😠😠we must restore the HEART of service pic.twitter.com/bWrwhyqa3w
— Ashley Sauls I – AS1 (@AshleySauls_1st) April 1, 2022
CEO of Rahima Moosa Hospital, Dr Nozuko Mkabayi said the MMC violated the patients’ rights by filming them without their knowledge or permission.
She further claims that the situation was staged and that one of the patients who knew the MMC was on his way to the hospital asked other patients to sleep on the floor.
The MMC arrived at the hospital unannounced on 01 April, at midnight.
Dr Mkabayi said that 40% of the patients at the hospital were foreign nationals, regardless of whether they were documented or undocumented.
In an interview, the hospital’s CEO said that Sauls did not call her like he claimed to have done before he arrived.
Sauls I, then shared an unedited version of the video when he arrives and introduces himself to hospital staff.
In a conversation with a matron at the hospital, Sauls was told that the hospital is overburdened because most of the patients at the hospital have complications.
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RAHIMA MOOSA CEO LIES on public radio saying that I said I have an emergency so as to enter the hospital and that a patient told mothers to lie on the floor so as to stage a crisis. here is the unedited version of that night. Judge for yourself.https://t.co/8Vr2C9pGqe
— Ashley Sauls I – AS1 (@AshleySauls_1st) April 4, 2022
Following the video on social media, the Gauteng MEC for Health Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi met with management at the hospital on Monday, 4 April.
“The Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital has taken note of the complaint and the matter has since been escalated to the Quality Assurance Unit. The matter is currently being investigated.”
Gauteng Health released a statement on the issue
MEC @DrMokgethi is this morning visiting Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital (@RahimaHospital) to engage with management following a video of pregnant women sitting on chairs and sleeping on the floor. pic.twitter.com/cPCPKSA84Z
— Gauteng Health (@GautengHealth) April 4, 2022
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