The Mpumalanga Department of Health has reinstated the CEO for Themba hospital back to his position. The CEO resumed work at the hospital on Wednesday, June 8, 2018.
The CEO was suspended on the 27 March 2018 following recommendations of the investigation conducted by Public Service Commission, Human Rights Commission and the Public Protector.
READ: Themba Hospital CEO’s suspension lifted
The Department later converted the suspension to a precautionary transfer of the CEO to Provincial Office on the 27 of April 2018. This meant that the CEO had to report to the head office while an internal investigation is being conducted.
In the year 2016, a patient who was admitted at Themba Hospital contravened the hospital’s policy that there is no smoking in the wards. The patient smoked while sitting on his hospital bed in the ward. Unfortunately, his bed caught fire from the cigarette which he was smoking and he got burnt. The patient later died due to natural causes.
This incident attracted an investigation by the Public Service Commission, Human Rights Commission and the Public Protector which led to the above recommendations.
Also READ: PHOTOS: Bodies rotting at Themba Hospital’s mortuaries
The suspension of the CEO was implemented in line with the SMS handbook. In terms of the handbook, the Department must finalise its internal investigations within 60 days and make a decision as to whether or not there are valid grounds to subject the CEO to a disciplinary hearing.
The investigation has now been completed. The CEO has been given a final written warning thus seeing him returning to his post at Themba hospital.
