Housing audit needed to address access, accountability
by Dr Isak Fritz MPL – DA Northern Cape Spokesperson of Health
Date: 03 March 2017
Release: Immediate
Type: Press Statement
Only a week after Premier, Sylvia Lucas, made a commitment during her State of the Province Address, to
ensure properly stocked health facilities in the Northern Cape, hospitals in the province once again find
themselves out of stock of a long list of critical medical supplies, including dialysis disposables and drip sets.
While some of the out-of- stocks are related to shortages at a national level, it is believed that a number of the out-
of-stocks are largely attributable to the ongoing issue of service providers not having been paid by the
department.
Earlier this week, the Health Department presented its Audit Action Plan, intended to drastically improve the dire
state of the department, to the respective portfolio committee. During this very meeting, the department gave a
commitment that issues related to non-payment of suppliers had been resolved.
The reality of the situation on the ground causes us to doubt the Health Department’s sincerity and also to
question the actual impact of the plan, which is just one of many that have been developed over the past 10
years.
It is deeply disappointing that despite encouraging promises from the Premier and efficient looking plans
endorsed by the MEC, Lebogang Mtolhaping, the Health Department has once again dropped the ball, placing
the lives of sick patients at stake.
It just goes to show that you can make the most elaborate promises and have all the plans in the world, but if you
don’t have the political will to implement and exercise these promises and plans, then they will mean nothing at
all.
The DA will monitor the situation closely.
A number of other commitments involving health care and financial reform have also been made by the Premier
and in the Audit Action Plan. It is just a matter of time before we can see if they too are purely hot air ambitions.
Media Enquiries
Dr Isak Fritz MPL
DA Northern Cape Spokesperson of Health
083 395 2737
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