State of healthcare in Limpopo of big concern, says DA
The DA conducted an oversight inspection at the Elim District Hospital in Limpopo last week to investigate claims of the collapsing public health sector.
LIMPOPO – The hospital was administered under the failed National Health Insurance (NHI) pilot project in the Vhembe district.
DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Health, MP Lindy Wilson, said the challenges at the Elim District Hospital are proof the NHI will not address the serious issues at the root of the collapsing public health sector. “Simply put, the NHI is not a feasible plan to fix the public healthcare system. If the pilot project fails, how can the ANC government expect it to succeed on a national level?” she asked.
She added in the 2016/17 financial year, the Vhembe district scored a lowly 42% in the Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) annual inspection report and the DA’s findings at the hospital were indicative of why the district performed so poorly.
The hospital’s CEO, Pfuluwani Matodzi, stated the 108-year-old hospital is currently faced with challenges such as staff shortages, despite the fact that 95% of the hospital’s budget is allocated towards personnel costs. Other challenges raised by the CEO include infrastructure issues and continuous water shortages.
Due to the facility’s budgetary constraints, the hospital is unable to pay for goods and services, lab costs, blood services and infrastructure repairs.
She said a visit to the maternity ward highlighted the plight of the hospital. “It was seriously overcrowded, linen was old and many of the baby bassinets were in disgraceful condition. Most disturbing was the fact that at the time of the visit there were no Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccines for newborns,” she added.
DA also visited the Waterval Clinic and there were no diabetic medicines, which is one of the biggest killers of people in Limpopo. “There was also no antibiotics, cough syrups or medicines to treat minor ailments,” Wilson said.
