PR shortages fuel hospital complaints
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Wednesday January 28, 2026 06:18
The Ombudsman noted that this trend often results in the distortion of facts, limiting the hospitals’ ability to address grievances effectively at the facility level.
“Complaints are increasingly raised through social media platforms or political offices without first being presented to hospital management for proper redress, and in many cases, the issues are misrepresented or exaggerated,” the report states.
Meanwhile, the investigation points to a far more serious underlying problem within the public health system. According to the Ombudsman, the volume of litigation against health institutions continues to rise.
“Given that there are more than 250 lawsuits reportedly filed since 2021, collectively claiming in excess of P6.5 billion, this suggests that the health system is grappling with complaints of a far more serious nature than those outlined above,” the report states. It further indicates that health facilities are failing to resolve disputes internally.
“It also shows that hospitals are struggling to address complaints at the facility level, leading to an escalation into litigation rather than timely internal resolution,” the Ombudsman states. The report says that despite the tendency of patients or their relatives to bypass formal complaint mechanisms, most hospitals indicated that they actively monitor social media platforms, particularly Facebook, through their Public Relations Officers. Therefore, in such instances, complainants are identified, investigations are undertaken, and an appropriate response or remedy is provided, the report reveals. Notwithstanding these efforts, the report also indicated that some hospitals continue to face challenges in effectively managing complaints due to the absence of a designated Public Relations Officer. “For example, Tsabong Primary Hospital relies on a temporary officer to handle all complaints and public relations matters in the hospital. The absence of dedicated Public Relations Officers in some hospitals further constrains effective complaint management. Inadequate staffing leads to delayed responses, inconsistent handling, and missed opportunities for service improvement,” it revealed.
Notably, the investigation revealed that generally, hospitals lack proper or standardised tracking and monitoring tools for complaints lodged, whether internally or externally. However, the report says the MoH does not appear to have a centralised reporting system capable of identifying which grievances are attributable to specific hospitals.
In addition, it states that this absence of an integrated complaints database makes it difficult to detect recurring issues, analyse and evaluate performance trends, or develop targeted interventions to address common complaints. “The resulting reliance on informal or political channels diverts complaints away from structured resolution processes and weakens the institutional feedback loop necessary for learning and improvement, impeding the ministry’s ability to implement targeted corrective measures,” the report said.
Furthermore, it revealed that the investigation found that social media has become an informal monitoring tool for hospitals. Whilst proactive tracking by Public Relations Officers helps to identify emerging issues, it also exposes gaps in formal complaint management systems, the report said. “The fact that complainants prefer social media platforms highlights deficiencies in accessibility, visibility, and responsiveness of existing channels. Hence, Nyangabgwe Hospital has leveraged modern technology by introducing a QR code system that allows patients to submit complaints directly to the Public Relations Officer through social media platforms, which is redirected to the Chief Nurse Matron or the Hospital Superintendent for redress,” it revealed.