Note to editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Dr Jack Bloom MPL.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling on Wits University Vice-Chancellor Zeblon Vilakazi to urgently investigate the causes of the appallingly high mortality rate for heart surgery at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH).
More damning evidence of a cover-up at the hospital’s Cardiothoracic Department has emerged in an official reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature (see attached here).
The Gauteng Health Department was forced to admit that they had lied in their previous reply to me that there was a 72.5% decrease in mortality between 2023 and 2025.
See reply here.
According to their new figures, the mortality rate for heart surgery in 2025 was 14% – 23 deaths out of 166 surgeries. This compares to 19% mortality in 2024, 21% in 2023, and 12% for July to December 2022. They now claim that “this reflects a progressive and sustained improvement in outcomes, with an overall -34% reduction in mortality between 2023 and 2025.”
When I questioned their previous claim of a 72.5% reduction, the department says they did not intentionally provide false information but it “presumably resulted from a calculation error during the collection of preliminary, non-reconciled datasets.”
This is a poor excuse as accurate data collection is essential to track trends and take corrective action. Using their own figure of deaths, I calculate somewhat different annual mortality rates. Their admitted 14% mortality rate last year is scandalously high. In leading overseas cardiac centres, mortality rates exceeding 2–3% would trigger an immediate formal inquiry.
The morbidity figures they give for heart patients are also appallingly high – 22% last year, and similar percentages in previous years. Morbidity refers to complications or adverse outcomes arising from the procedure.
Registrars in the Cardiothoracic Department have formally appealed to the Dean of the Wits Faculty of Health Sciences, Professor Shabir Madi, for urgent intervention, but their appeal was ignored.
Last year a senior consultant resigned after calling for the immediate suspension of the Head of the Cardiothoracic Department, Dr Tumi Taunyane, following allegations by registrars of intimidation, lack of academic leadership, and multiple instances of misconduct.
The Department has noted in a previous reply to me that the Wits Vice-Chancellor had raised concerns about “significant dysfunction as a result of a breakdown in relationships among several staff members, including Registrars” which could impact on patient care, surgical service delivery, theatre safety, and clinical training.
I have written to Professor Zeblon Vilakazi urging him to urgently investigate the following:
-
The true mortality and morbidity rates, and the causes thereof.
-
The allegations against Dr Taunyane concerning his leadership and the training conditions for registrars.
-
Measures needed to restore the Department’s ability to perform operations with minimal risk and to serve as a viable accredited training platform.
South Africa used to be a world leader in heart surgery but has slipped badly in our province’s flagship hospital. CMJAH should be performing more than 1000 complex heart procedures a year, but it is only doing about 200 operations annually with too many patients dying who could have been saved.
I have received confirmation from the Health Ombud’s office that they will be investigating this matter, but the University should also act speedily to rescue the situation.
I am here today to say to Wits University that their inaction is shameful. There should be no more cover-up! The Wits Medical School has failed heart patients by allowing poor management to endanger their lives, and training in this specialty may collapse altogether.
The way forward should include a wholesale replacement of incompetent management and a training partnership with private hospitals.
The DA will not rest until there is full accountability for this scandal and a credible rescue plan for cardiac surgery in Gauteng.