Gauteng corrects Charlotte Maxeke cardiac surgery death-rate figures after audit

The Gauteng Department of Health has corrected previously published cardiac surgery mortality figures for Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital after an internal audit found calculation errors. The department revised an earlier claim of a 72.5% reduction in deaths to a validated figure of 34%, following a review of its datasets.

What changed after the audit

Spokesperson Steve Mabona confirmed the department discovered the discrepancy while reviewing information that had been submitted to the Gauteng Legislature. He said the originally reported reduction of 72.5% between 2023 and 2025 “resulted from a data collation and validation error during the compilation of preliminary, non-reconciled datasets.”

“The department did not intentionally provide false information,” Mabona said.

Corrected figures show steady improvement

Following a full verification using consolidated departmental records, the corrected data shows a 34% reduction in mortality between 2023 and 2025. Mabona described this as “a sustained improvement in clinical outcomes over the period.”

The year-by-year figures for the adult cardiac surgery unit at CMJAH in the verified data are:

• Mortality rate: 21% in 2023, 19% in 2024, and 14% in 2025.
• Absolute deaths: 38 in 2023, 27 in 2024, and 23 in 2025.

“While any patient death is regrettable, the verified data reflect a progressive reduction in mortality over the reporting period,” Mabona said.

Department stresses context and governance

The department urged caution in interpreting the numbers in isolation. Mabona said clinical outcomes in specialised cardiothoracic services “are assessed using recognised methodologies that take into account patient complexity, disease severity, co-morbidities and procedural risk.” He added that the figures “should therefore be interpreted within the context of a tertiary referral institution managing highly complex and high-risk cardiac cases.”

The department also rejected suggestions that the initial error amounted to a cover-up. Mabona said the cardiothoracic unit operates under “established governance and oversight structures,” including routine morbidity and mortality reviews, multidisciplinary clinical discussions, and formal accreditation mechanisms.

Steps to prevent future errors

Mabona said the department has begun implementing measures to improve data processes. “The department acknowledges the importance of accurate clinical reporting and has already initiated measures to strengthen data governance, validation and quality assurance processes to ensure greater accuracy and consistency in future reporting,” he said.

Reported from departmental statements regarding Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital cardiac surgery figures.