It is an absolute disgrace that North West residents have not had access to proper healthcare for years, owing to constant medicine shortages at hospitals and clinics across this ANC-governed province.
The North West Department of Health is characterised by institutional decay, corruption and mismanagement, despite interventions by the national government.
The department was under administration from 2018 to 2022, but there has been no visible improvement.
The impact this has on residents who are entirely dependent on the state’s medical services is enormous. Even patients with life-threatening chronic medical conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes are regularly turned away at clinics and hospitals due to medicine shortages.
The reasons for this dire state of affairs are endless. In addition to the culture of corruption and overall laxity characterising the administration, many suppliers of medicine and other medical materials refuse to continue doing business with the province due to non-payment or late payments.
During an oversight visit to the Mmabatho Medical Depot in 2022, for example, unpaid invoices dating back to 2014 were discovered. And it seems that things have simply continued along the same vein ever since.
The fact that only 30% of the medication and 17% of other medical materials ordered are actually delivered to clinics and hospitals indicates that there is very little to no stock control and management. Seeing as the Department is deeply affected by administrative red tape, mismanagement and incompetence, the poor state of public healthcare in North West is to be expected.
It is crucial to eradicate the institutional decay, corruption and mismanagement in North West’s Department of Health. The only way to do this is to restore discipline and professionalism to its administration. Internal capacity for performing core functions, such as the distribution and control of medicine and other stock, should be created to ensure sustainable service delivery. Appointing consultants and contractors to perform departmental functions is not the solution.
North West’s Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi, ought to take responsibility and intervene to restore this essential service in the province.
Professional healthcare workers and patients in North West should no longer be subjected to these disgraceful circumstances.
North West residents should use their votes on 4 November to make it clear that the ANC will no longer be tolerated in any sphere of government.
