BY
HON MRS NJ NKWANYANA MPL, KZN LEGISLATURE
Speaker!
As a matter of fact the healthcare system in KwaZulu-Natal is in deep crisis, characterised by critical shortages of medical staff and non-functioning of equipment in public hospitals. We are very perturbed by the dire shortage of qualified oncologists in public hospitals. Oncology services‚ including radiotherapy‚ are provided at just three hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal: Inkosi Albert Luthuli and Addington in Durban‚ and Grey’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg. The exodus of oncologists from state hospitals to the more lucrative private sector — and not just for more money‚ is caused by difficult working conditions. This shocking development leaves hundreds — if not thousands — of cancer patients in KwaZulu-Natal facing clinical uncertainty and staring the possibility of death squarely in the face.
Dinangwe loludaba lukhathaza wonke umuntu ngoba kuchaza ukuthi miningi imindeni esazokhala ngenxa yokulahlekelwa izihlobo zayo njengoba odokotela abhekene nokwelapha iziguli ezinomdlavuza bengasekho ezibhedlela. Nakuba ukuveza ukuthi nizosebenzisa odokotela abazimele kodwa lokho sikubona kungesona isisombululo kulenkinyankiya. Umbuzo omkhulu Dinangwe owokuthi sonke lesikhathi ubungaboni yini ukuthi kukhona okudla amantshontsho emsamo njengoba usudinda isililo, ukhala uthwala izandla ekhanda usubeka izaba zokuthi ezinye izikhulu emnyangweni wakho zikuhlinzele ezibini.
Lokhu-ke Dinangwe ngiyethemba ukuthi kuzoba isifundo kuwe sokuthi uyeke ukubeka umsebenzi wakho ezandleni zabanye abantu kodwa kumele uzibambele wena mathupha ngoba thina angeke saqophisana nezisebenzi zomnyango ekubeni nguwe ophathiswe lomnyango. Zonke izinduku zizoqhuma kuwe egxabeni Ngqongqoshe. Futhi angeke sabanjwa isamuku uma kukhona okumele sikhuluma ngakho okubi okwenzeke emnyangweni wakho. Iqembu leNkatha lizoqhubeka ngokukupheka ngobhonjwana uyoze uthi tshiyo tshiyo sengivuthiwe. Kunye kuphela Dinangwe okuyoba isixazululo sokuthi uzephule wena kulomlilo wolaka obhekene nalo ukuthi ulahle phansi amatomu uma uzwa ukuthi umthwalo uyakwesinda uthwele ijoka lensimbi umhlulankabi uqobo. Kodwa kuhle Dinagwe uvume nje ukuthi ayi isingenhla kwamadolo.
During the Health Budget Debate as the IFP we were happy to hear that there was an allocation of R475million for the purchase of medical equipment including CT scanners and x-ray machines. In view of the many non-functioning equipment at many hospitals, we had hope that this money would be spent wisely in the interest of patients and will not be squandered by unscrupulous officials and tenderpreneurs.
Dinangwe wehluleka ukulungisa indaba yemishini ezibhedlela nakuba kunetshe elingaka lemali. Iphi Dinangwe lemali uma imishini ezibhedlela ingekho? Ngabe obani laba abadla imali okufanele ilungise imishini ezibhedlela nokugcina sekuhlupheka iziguli okufanele engabe ziyasizwa. Kusiza ngani ukukhuluma ngetshe lemali ekubeni akukho okwenziwayo ngayo. Ngabe sisuke siqanjelwa amanga yini ukuthi kunesabelo esithile sokwenza lokhu nalokhu emnyangweni wezempilo. Kudingeka uphenyo olunzulu mayelana nokusebenza kwasosonke isabelo somnyango wezempilo uma kuzokhishwa izimali kodwa izinkinga zingalungiswa.
Kwaloluhlelo lwezempilo okuthiwa iNHI angeke lwaba impumelelo uma kusenzeka kanjena emnyangweni wezempilo. uMnyango wezempilo kumele ushintshe amagiya uma uzimisele ngempela ngokuhlinzeka ngezempilo ezisezingeni eliphezulu. Angeke sakuvumela ukuthi kudlalwe ngezimpilo zabantu ngoba nakhu kwaziwa ukuthi bayahlupheka angeke bakwazi ukubhekana nezindleko zosizo lwezempilo olutholakala ezibhedlela ezizimele. Nongqongqoshe weZempilo kuzwelonke uDokotela Aaron Motsoaledi naye ushaye amakhala ngokuhambi kahle kwesimo emnyangweni wezempilo.
Furthermore, according to a report in the Sunday Tribune of 18 June 2017 it was revealed how officials were dismissed and the matter handed to the specialized commercial crimes unit, SA Revenue Services and the Asset Forfeiture Unit, and nothing has been done. We should get rid of the rot within the department of health starting from the top down. The report states that the dismissed officials had procured radiotherapy machines back in 2008 under “emergency processes, and the tender process was restricted. If procedures were followed we would not find ourselves in this dire situation. Our cancer patients would not have to deal with the further stress which they are now experiencing.
So what about the future? It is clear that there will be no quick and easy answers to KZN‘s health care problems, no matter who gets into the department. It is critical to address the complex health-related issues that we face in KZN. I order to achieve its mission, the KZN Department of Health must first understand the major factors that promote and threaten the health and well-being of KZN residents.
The ANC government is to blame for all this as medical care facilities even in rural areas are run by very bad management, administrative inefficiency and poor planning put in place by them. And that’s all because the ANC lives in a parallel universe than the rest of ordinary citizens. You have people in hospital management who just don’t know the first thing about their job. It is disastrous. There are a lot of people who just don’t do their jobs and there is no recourse and no evaluating of that, and I think that creates resentment and frustration.
Several hospitals in KZN are in a critical state of disrepair resulting in the violation of the public’s right to health care services. As the IFP we are of the view that the MEC must be held personally responsible should any patient die as a result of adverse conditions at hospitals resulting from a lack of maintenance of equipment and infrastructure.
Doctors and nurses working within the KwaZulu-Natal public health-care system are the face of a failing organisation. The public health-care system is appalling. It is not equipped to deal with the burden of challenges in this province. Whether this is due to a lack of funds or simply mismanagement and wasting of available funds is a question worth asking. Whether or not it can be fixed by changing the people running the system is another question.
Tales of medical horrors and inexcusably poor medical care are rife. The virulent cancer it appears is metastasizing rapidly. Are doctor’s mere scapegoats? The Department must take the blame for its failures. Patients must be offered adequate protection, and tangible solutions are needed.
I thank you
