South Africa’s Health Minister announces change of guard at the Health Ombud’s office

SOUTH AFRICA— Following the completion of Prof. Malegapuru W. Makgoba’s term, the Minister of Health South Africa has announced that Prof Taole Resetselemang will take over as the new Health Ombud.

Prof. Makgoba’s seven-year non-renewable term concluded in May 2023 after what was described as a daunting task to establish the role as he was the first appointee in 2016.

The Health Ombud was established as an independent body under the terms of the National Health Amendment Act of 2013.

The office is tasked to protect and promote the health and safety of citizens accessing health services by considering, investigating, and disposing of complaints relating to non-compliance of the prescribed standards and norms.

The Health Ombud is located within the offices of the Health Standards Compliance (HSC) which is charged with monitoring the implementation of the recommendations made by the Health Ombud.

The Health minister Dr. Joe Phaahla, noted that since assuming office Prof. Makgoba has displayed patriotism and commitment to the creation of an improved healthcare service in the country.

Additionally, he impartially and with no favor or prejudice investigated complaints brought to his office and made recommendations that were invaluable to the health system in the country.

Some of the major investigations conducted under his leadership include Life Esidimeni involving mental health patients, Tembisa Hospital, and the recent Rahima Moosa Mother & Child Hospital.

The minister also noted that Professor Makgoba did not only attend to high-profile complaints but also spent a huge amount of his term following the complaints of ordinary people who visit the country’s different healthcare facilities.

Subsequently, Dr. Phaahla announced, “It is my pleasure to announce that Professor Makgoba will be succeeded by Emeritus Professor Taole Resetselemang Mokoena with effect from the 1st of June 2023.”

The health minister emphasized that Professor Mokoena was an accomplished South African medical scholar who had transverse the globe to show the quality of South Africa’s academic prowess.

He is a medical graduate of the University of Natal, a Doctor of Philosophy graduate of the University of Oxford, and a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

Prof Mokoena recently retired as a Professor and Academic Head of the Department of Surgery, Chief Surgeon of the Department of General Surgery at the University of Pretoria, and Steve Biko Academic Hospital.

Prof Mokoena’s clinical and research interests encompass immunology, oncology, and endocrinology, and having previously been part of the renal transplant unit at the Universities of Natal and Witwatersrand.

He is active in academic and professional leadership, having served at different times on several national and professional bodies like the South African Medical Association, Health Professions Council of South Africa, Colleges of Medicine of South Africa, and College of Surgeons of South Africa.

He was also appointed to chair a Panel for Investigation of Surgical Deaths at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in 1996/7 and the Panel of Inquiry into Discrimination within the Cardiology Department at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

This track record the minister acknowledged would give credence to his appointment as the new Health Ombud, armed with experience in investigations and inquiries into wrongdoing and injustices in the healthcare sector.

Dr. Phaahla said, “We are confident that Professor Mokoena will execute his work with diligence and an absolute sense of justice, eschewing impartiality and no prejudice to all.”

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