Letter: What health care?
To argue that the Bela-Bela hospital provides health care services is an insult to every health care practitioner in the country.
Syd Caton, Bela-Bela, writes:
The Sunday Times issue from Sunday, 28 August, dedicated its front page, as well as two other pages to the Health MEC in Limpopo, Phophi Ramathuba, and her interrogation of a patient in the Bela-Bela provincial hospital.
She blamed foreigners for the inadequate health services, but it is in fact a dismal excuse for the atrocious conditions and appalling services that this state-run hospital provides.
She claims to be the voice of 91% of South Africans who blame foreigners for dysfunctional health care services.
The enclosed report of one patient’s experience in the last two weeks sets out exactly how critical the conditions are and provides a clear insight into the failure of the health department to comply with Section 27 of the Constitution.
This law provides everyone the right to access health care services, including reproductive health care services. Thus, no person may be refused emergency medical treatment.
To argue that the Bela-Bela hospital provides health care services is an insult to every health care practitioner in the country.
The treatment given to this particular patient is nothing short of shocking.
I would advise readers to respond to this letter by writing to Die Pos with their own horror stories they had experienced at the same hospital.
