​Significant strides have been made to improve Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) compliance across all hospitals in Gauteng, achieving compliance scores of 75% and above in 100% of facilities assessed. 
This important milestone  by the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) positions the hospital platform firmly on the path to National Health Insurance (NHI) readiness, ensuring safer environments for patients and staff.
The compliance audit focused on 13 key criteria, including fire safety infrastructure, emergency preparedness, environmental controls, and administrative systems. Several hospitals now fall within the 90–100% compliance category, following focused infrastructure interventions, updated systems, and recruitment of competent OHS professionals.
"We have made OHS a top priority across our hospitals as part of our journey toward NHI readiness. We are creating environments where safety, quality, and compliance are embedded into daily operations," said MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko.
The department has adopted an internationally recognised framework of Integrated Management Systems aligned to ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety), ISO 9001 (Quality Management), and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), with implementation already underway. Training on legal liability, incident auditing, and compliance culture development are being rolled out across hospital teams.
To ensure long-term sustainability, the department has introduced a dedicated OHS budget structure aligned to SCOA (Standard Chart of Accounts) and is actively recruiting 65 qualified professionals including Occupational Hygienists, Safety Engineers, Environmental Impact Assessors, and OHS trainers.
Facilities such as Tembisa Hospital have demonstrated significant improvement after Department of Employment and Labour inspections, aided by corrective action plans and strengthened internal systems. Administrative training and facility-level workshops have helped hospitals better use OHS checklists and improve fire risk management.
While progress is notable, challenges remain in areas such as fire suppression system servicing and fire detection infrastructure, which are being addressed through targeted upgrades. 
This milestone reinforces Gauteng's commitment to safe, well-managed healthcare environments and lays a solid foundation for meeting NHI accreditation standards.