Hospital staff in criminal probe

At least 10 of Mahatma Gandhi Hospital's most "influential" staff face suspension - with immediate effect - following a two-year investigation into various criminal activities.

KwaZulu Natal acting head of department Yoliswa Mbele on Monday said a presiding officer and an investigating officer would be appointed to handle the disciplinary hearings of officers working for the department who would be charged with fraud, corruption and defeating the ends of justice.

Provincial health spokesperson Chris Maxon said they were ready to take the Health Department employees to court and institute internal disciplinary proceedings against them. Their files would be sent to the Commercial Crime Unit.

The allegations against them included bribery, asking sexual favours for jobs, the abuse of authority and nepotism, fraud which included lying about their qualifications, as well as wrongly granted remuneration in which "ghost employees" - or people no longer employed there - were still on the payroll.

Maxon warned that investigations were continuing and that it had taken two years to reach this stage because of the complexity of the matter.

However, The Star has learnt that many of the hospital's workers who might have information were afraid to give evidence against their "bosses" as they felt they could lose their jobs.

Mahatma Gandhi Hospital is not new to controversy. In 2005, 22 newborn babies died of klebsiella, a bacterial disease, prompting a high-level investigation.

Meanwhile, Health MEC Peggy Nkonyeni is expected to stand trial in June on a corruption charge relating to the procurement of a mammogram machine.