The Gauteng Department of Health has strongly denied allegations of a cardiac surgery “disaster” at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, dismissing claims by Jack Bloom as “misleading and unverified.”
The department says the hospital “remains a key cardiothoracic referral centre within the public health system,” providing specialised and highly specialised services to patients across Gauteng and neighbouring provinces.
This comes after Bloom alleged that heart patients were dying due to poor surgical outcomes in what he described as a “grossly mismanaged” cardiothoracic department, claiming an approximate mortality rate of 20% and calling for an independent commission of inquiry.
However, the department rejected this figure outright, stating that “the claim of an approximate 20% mortality rate is not backed by verified risk-adjusted clinical data and should not be viewed in isolation.”
It stressed that surgical outcomes are assessed using internationally accepted methods that account for patient complexity, comorbidities and procedural risks.
“Any interpretation of data that omits these factors is fundamentally flawed and risks misleading the public,” the department said.
The department also pushed back against allegations of secrecy and institutional failure, saying there was “no evidence to support claims of a lack of transparency or a ‘cover-up’.”
It added that clinical performance at the hospital is subject to “ongoing review through established governance, audit, and oversight processes created to ensure accountability and patient safety.”
Bloom’s claims were partly based on a resignation letter from a senior cardiothoracic surgeon, who cited poor outcomes, a compromised training environment and alleged intimidation of junior staff. The DA politician further alleged that complaints raised by registrars and concerns flagged by academic leadership had not been adequately addressed.
In response, the department said concerns related to clinical services, training environments or workplace relations are handled through “established institutional and academic governance channels to ensure all issues are formally reviewed and resolved according to relevant standards.”
While acknowledging operational challenges, the department admitted that “human resource limitations have affected service delivery,” but said surgical volumes are deliberately adjusted “to prevent staff fatigue and reduce risks to patient safety and clinical outcomes.”
“Nonetheless, staffing issues do not suggest systemic failure, as they are managed within standard professional procedures,” it added.
Bloom has escalated the matter to the Health Ombud, Taole Mokoena, calling for an urgent independent investigation into the hospital’s cardiothoracic unit.
Despite the growing political pressure, the Gauteng Health Department maintains that any assessment of clinical performance must be based on “verifiable data, including transparent methodology, proper benchmarking, and risk-adjusted analysis,” warning that incomplete or selective figures risk undermining public trust in the health system.
IOL News
Wendy Dondolo
iol.co.za
