PRETORIA - Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has expressed dismay following findings that doctors at two medical facilities in Gauteng broke the cardinal rule of healthcare.
He said doctors at Dr George Mukhari Hospital and Netcare Femina violated the principle of 'first do no harm', also known as the Latin phrase primum non nocere.
Motsoaledi was responding to the Health Ombud's report on the deaths of a 35-year-old mental health patient, Lerato Mohlamme and baby Moatlegi Masoka at facilities in Tshwane.
In the case of Mohlamme, it was initially reported that she died when a fire broke out in her seclusion room at Dr. George Mukhari Hospital.
The Ombud found that not only was she illegally admitted, but she was also starved as punishment.
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In the case of Masoka, the Ombud found that a clinical error occurred at Netcare Femina when adrenaline was administered intravenously instead of nebulisation.
This was a result of the incorrect prescription route and poor communication.
The Ombud further noted that the hospital failed to refer the unnatural death or death from a healthcare procedure or intervention for a forensic postmortem examination as required.
It also highlighted systemic risks, including outdated medication protocols, inadequate shift handover procedures, and weaknesses in electronic medical record access controls.
Motsoaledi said the findings pointed to a serious breach of medical ethics.
Motsoaledi insists that the cornerstone of medical ethics has been breached.
"When we hire doctors and nurses and other professionals, we don't pick them from the street. They come with qualifications; they come with training.
"And the principle here, which has universally been breached by both George Mukhari Academic Hospital and Netcare Femina, is the principle called Primum non nocere, meaning first do no harm. That's the basic principle that every health worker is taught.
The minister said it is this very same principle that reminds practitioners to weigh the risks and benefits of any intervention before proceeding.