By David Masoeu | DA Spokesperson for Health in the Free State Legislature
Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites by David Masoeu MPL
The DA demands that the MEC of Health, Mr Monyatso Mahlatsi, provide an urgent indication of when the department will fill vacant positions and reintroduce the mobile clinic services in Phumelela. This after the department’s decision to discontinue mobile clinics in Phumelela Municipality, which will be detrimental to rural and isolated communities in the district.
The Department initially had two mobile clinics serving the community and surrounding towns of Warden and Vrede that helped to alleviate some of the strain on the local clinic.
The DA recently conducted oversight in the area and discovered that the two mobile vehicles that were initially used to serve as mobile clinics have since been parked at the Vrede hospital and were no longer being used to service these communities. Residents informed the DA that out of the six nurses allocated to operate the mobiles, only one of them was left in service following the termination of the contracts of the other five nurses.
Compounding the situation is that community clinics in both Vrede and Warden areas that used to operate 24/7 now only operate between 8 and 16 hours a day. Some patients are forced to start queuing from 05:30 in the morning without the guarantee of being assisted.
The Department of Health cites budgetary constraints for the non-filling of vacancies and that the Department is making use of staff that was appointed on funding obtained from the national treasury during the COVID-19 period.
Upon further investigation, the community members in the area described a very disturbing situation of the distances people have to travel to receive healthcare, they indicated that:
– Community members who reside around Rosedelly farms travel 45 kilometres to fetch medication at the nearest clinic in town.
– Residents who stay at Cronje Boerdery travel 21 kilometres to reach the clinic.
– Residents who stay at Ascent farms travel 32 kilometres and
– Residents who stay at Roadside farms travel at least 32 kilometres to reach the clinic in town.
The suffering of residents in the Phumelela municipality and the surrounding communities is unconstitutional, and people deserve a government that prioritises their health and well-being.