DA Northern Cape Premier Candidate

Democratic Alliance press statement by

Andrew Louw

DA Northern Cape Premier Candidate

Health department fails the sick

26 October 2018

Release: immediate

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is calling on Health MEC, Fufe Makatong, to urgently come forward with implementable solutions to address the closure of clinics across Kimberley.

This comes amidst a city-wide clinic shutdown by Community Health Workers who are aggrieved by the department’s irregular payment of their stipends. While they are meant to be paid on the 25th of each month, they did not receive their stipends yesterday or today. This is nothing new, every month their payments seem to be an after thought of the department.

In effect, clinics are closed and entrance gates to facilities have been locked. At the same time, desperate patients can be seen queuing in vain for medical assistance at health facilities across the city. See pics here and here.

The failing ANC government’s inability to professionally manage its payments and treat CHW’s with dignity, is the cause of this crisis.

MEC Makatong must urgently see to it that this matter is resolved so that patients can get the medication and care they deserve, or risk being the cause of an even greater health crisis.

Only change under a DA-led government will ensure that government finances are astutely managed and that health workers are treated with respect, so as to build an efficient and effective primary health care system across the province.

Media Enquiries:

Andrew Louw

DA Northern Cape Premier Candidate

082 383 6914

Shelley De Witt

Researcher

082 847 1387