The cost of corruption affecting health care in the Northern Cape has been devastating.
“Irregular expenditure in the Northern Cape Department of Health stands at a massive R9,370 billion,” remarked Dr Isak Fritz, DA-MP and premier candidate, at a gathering outside the department’s office in Kimberley on Friday, 20 October.
The massive backlog in service delivery, the acquiring of equipment, the appointment of health professionals, the closing or dysfunctioning of health clinics, and more, could have been prevented years ago if billions of rands were not wasted on irregular expenditure, including corruption.
“For many years corruption has thrived in the Department of Health,” Fritz remarked, urging the premier, Dr Zamani Saul, and the MEC for Health, Maruping Lekwene, to get rid of those who are corrupt, and not just transfer them to another position in the department.
“The health department has increasingly been used as a cash cow for connected individuals, and there have been little to no consequences for those who have enriched themselves with money intended to save the lives of the Northern Cape’s most sick and vulnerable people.”
At the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital more nurses and doctors could have been appointed, and much-needed equipment procured. Here, four of nine theatres are in use, resulting in a surgery backlog of 6 373.
Earlier Fritz said a spate of assaults were taking place at the new mental hospital. Nine out of ten reported incidents were caused by an out-of-stock antipsychotic agent, critical to control violence and aggression in patients suffering from amongst others schizoaffective and bipolar disorders. In three cases, staff were assaulted.
“The practice of rewarding those who steal from the sick, and retaining them within the health system or provincial government, must come to an abrupt end,” Fritz urged.
