Can MEC save pathetic hospital care?

Botshelo Letlabola  (botshelo@noordnuus.co.za)
Last week, Limpopo MEC for health, Dr. Norman Mabasa, paid visits to the
Mokopane-, George Masebe- and Voortrekker Hospitals in the Mogalakwena area after complaints from Mokopane residents over patients being turned down due to lack of medicines and broken
medical instruments.
The MEC’s visit also forms part of an effort to ensure provision of quality healthcare in public hospitals. Poor service levels at these hospitals were highlighted earlier this year when four babies died due to staff shortages at the George Masebe hospital.
Following these deaths health
minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, released a report outlining how medical doctors tend to take unauthorised leave and
report for work late.
The detailed report came after a task team was appointed following the death of the four children on the January 1. Motsoaledi said one of the discoveries is that doctors do not sign the attendance register.
“Attendance during hours is unregulated with doctors reporting for duty after 09:00. The leave system is poorly
managed, and medical staff takes leave without recommendation by the senior clinical manager or by the CEO.”
Department spokesperson Snenhlanhla Gumede said the MEC’s visit was also aimed at ensuring the recommendations made by the national department after the
fatalities were being implemented. The MEC visited the Voortrekker Hospital, on Friday where unfortunately, the media was denied
access.
His department also failed to respond to questions from Northern News regarding  the lack of medicine, medical equipment, refusal to admit patients or offer certain services after hours and also poor food when patients actually do receive meals from the hospital.
Northern News has also run
reports where doctors actually take food to their patients because the hospital simply didn’t feed its patients.
This week Phuti Sebola, health and social development spokesperson told a Mokopane radio station the fact that the x-ray section at Voortrekker hospital does not work after hours is because professional officers and
radiographers are demanding overtime payments, which the department is now
considering.