Gauteng Health has policies in place to reduce ill-treatment of Junior Doctors
The Gauteng Health MEC, Ms Qedani Mahlangu, has revealed that to curtail ill-treatment being meted out to junior doctors; the Department has put policies and procedures in place to ensure that if such a case is reported it is dealt with promptly.
Responding to a legislature question last week Mahlangu said: “Yes, the Department of Health has developed a sexual harassment policy, wherein workshops, orientation and induction of all employees are being conducted, including steps to be taken in case of grievance procedures related to sexual harassment.”
MEC Mahlangu also added that there have not been any reported incidents of racism, sexism, homophobia, and harassment reported at each of the hospitals and clinics in the province in the last five years. She further disclosed that junior doctors have access to both her and the Head of the Department – Dr Barney Selebano – whenever they have concerns.
It should be noted that every hospital where intern doctors are placed there’s an intern curator, who looks after the needs of the interns. There are labour relations units at each facility with sufficient capacity to investigate all complaints or grievances submitted, including matters relating to abuse, harassment, bullying and discrimination.
In the Memorandum of Agreement with heads of medical schools a provision is made for handling of issues such as racism, harassment and bullying in the workplace. When cases of harassment are reported, the management deals with them immediately. This is guided by the grievance and disciplinary procedures policies.
Unclaimed and unidentified bodies given paupers burials
The MEC further disclosed that about 1043 unidentified and unclaimed bodies at provincial government mortuaries were given paupers burials last year (2015). She said this rate of unclaimed and unidentified bodies can be attributed to lack of authentic identification documents; foreign nationals and South Africans from other provinces that travel without identity documents and socio economic reasons including resource constraints for burial and distance from family.
The number of unclaimed and unidentified corpse for this year (2016) – for the period January to July – was 578 bodies. With regards to progress on the implementation of the Mortuary Management System that will be utilised in management of unidentified bodies, MEC Mahlangu said the system was being piloted at Hillbrow Forensic Pathology Services as at the beginning of August 2016.
“The Mortuary Management System was scheduled to be piloted in February this year but due to technical challenges the project started in August 2016, the full roll-out will be completed in July 2017. The second phase of the system will be completed in December 2017,” assured Mahlangu.
118 babies abandoned in Gauteng hospitals
Regarding the number of abandoned babies in Gauteng Government Hospitals, MEC Mahlangu divulged that about 118 babies were abandoned in 2015 in various facilities across the province. While the number of abandoned babies for this year is about 116 thus far.
The reasons for abandoned babies in hospital are mainly based on socio-economic conditions such as poverty, unplanned and teenage pregnancy, substance and alcohol abuse, preference for certain gender, and children born with physical disabilities, amongst others.
The MEC said the department has embarked on the following steps to turn the tide against child abandonment:
- Promotion of pamphlets with full information of stakeholders and organisation that can assist in unplanned pregnancy/babies; in prenatal, labour, post-natal, premature, termination of pregnancy units.
- Ongoing educational talks in the relevant units;
- Planning for annual outreach program during pregnancy week to make the community aware of different option to address unplanned pregnancy such as Contraception legal, termination of pregnancy, adoption, and foster care;
- Conducting support groups for the mothers with premature babies, special needs and poor prognosis;
- Tracing of families and reporting to South African Police Services; and
- Provide maternity packs (nappies, wipes, baby clothes, blankets, sanitary pads, baby oil soap etc) for mothers and their children.
Enquiries:
Steve Mabona
Cell: 072 574 3860
