The Democratic Alliance will demand answers from the Northern Cape Department of Health at its quarterly briefing on Friday over complaints received that patients at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley are going hungry and only being given sandwiches because the hospital has apparently failed to pay its food contractor.
The department must explain what urgent steps it is taking to ensure patients receive proper meals and what measures will be put in place to prevent this from happening again.
People go to hospital because they are sick and vulnerable. They should be able to focus on their recovery, not worry about whether they will get enough food to eat.
The food crisis is just the tip of the iceberg and points to wider financial pressures experienced at the hospital. This includes difficulties paying suppliers and managing mounting debt and cash-flow constraints.
These pressures are already affecting healthcare delivery. Essential medical supplies, including disposable items and cleaning products, have been out of stock at the hospital for months. The hospital’s latest report also raises concerns about maintenance, with two of its four lifts out of order for weeks and critical equipment, like its autoclaves, either failing or beyond their expected lifespan.
At Friday’s briefing, the department must account for the food shortage, including how much is owed to the contractor, how long the problem has persisted and when it will be resolved. It must also explain how it plans to address the wider supply, equipment and maintenance failures at the hospital.
Patients deserve to be treated with dignity and reliable health care. They should not bear the consequences of the department’s financial failures.