Question NW3731 to the Minister of Health
28 October 2022 - NW3731
Hlengwa, Ms MD to ask the Minister of Health
(1)Whether, in light of reports of patients at the Nkonjeni Hospital who received food full of ants, any health inspectors have been sent to the specified hospital to ensure that the quality of meals given to patients, as well as food preparation processes, meet the requirements for the minimum standards of his department; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether any health inspectors have been sent to the hospital to ensure that cleaning equipment within the hospital and/or clinic meets the requirements for the minimum standards of his department; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. Yes, initial inspection was conducted on 07 October 2022 and a follow up on 24 October 2022 by health inspectors, now called Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) from Zululand District Municipality. The EHPs did not find any evidence of ants in food provided to patients. There is a pest controller providing pest control services in the kitchen. An inspection of food premises was done from the storage, preparation, transportation to the ward, to providing food to patients and was found to be complying with required prescripts. Patients were also interviewed to determine if there was any incident where food provided had ants and no patient witnessed that incident and no further complaint was received by the EHPs.
2. Yes, EHPs have visited the facility which was found to be in compliance with minimum standards as it is in possession of a valid Certificate of Acceptability issued for compliance with the provision of the Foodstuff Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972, as amended and its regulations. Furthermore, as a proactive prevention measure, a comprehensive report with recommendations to the facility on implementation of the clean-as- you-go principle including provision of rodent proof at the storeroom was compiled.
END.