The water problem at the Steve Biko Hospital in Pretoria was resolved last week after the FF Plus in Gauteng requested the Gauteng Department of Health to immediately investigate the matter and restore the water supply.
The party also asked the Tshwane Metro Council to determine whether the Metro is experiencing any problems with supplying water to the Hospital.
Furthermore, the FF Plus also engaged with the Hospital manager about the water crisis that left patients without enough drinking water for several days.
It is unacceptable that medical personnel and patients in the Hospital did not have access to water for nearly three days – fire hoses had to be used to flush the toilets and patients had to walk quite far to fetch drinking water.
The lives of many patients were endangered because several operations had to be postponed and the necessary health and safety protocols, which are absolutely vital amid the Covid-19 pandemic, could not be adhered to.
The FF Plus sent a written question to the MEC for Health, Nomathemba Mokgethi, about the poor condition of the Hospital's infrastructure and the clear lack of maintenance to it.
The MEC was also asked to explain the cause of the water problem, why it happened in the first place, why it took so long to resolve and what preventative measures the Department plans to implement to prevent similar problems in the future.
Many people are dependent on provincial hospitals to get the medical care they need and, thus, it is important that these hospitals offer the same quality of service as private hospitals.
Under the ANC's mismanagement, however, it is not possible. That is why voters must stand up and stand with the FF Plus to send a loud and clear message to the ANC: The decline of public healthcare will not be tolerated.
