The DA welcomes the findings by South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) into the investigation of Victor Khanye Local Municipality’s neglected health care services.
As the DA, we are committed in monitoring the progress by the Department of Health into hiring a new nurse and driver for the idling mobile clinic at Bernice Samuel Hospital in Delmas.
The department’s failure to fill in vacancies has left approximately 4 000 farm workers to suffer and have to walk a distance of 30 km to the nearest clinic or hospital.
It is disappointing to note that the department has suddenly put blame on budgetary constraints after the DA submitted a request to the commission to investigate the concerns over the lacking health services in the municipality.
The SAHRC report found the concerns to be true. The resignation of both the professional nurse and lateral transfer of the mobile vehicle driver has negatively affected the provisioning of mobile health care services particularly for the farming community of Victor Khanye.
So many people coming as far as Izak farm, Mimosa, Amfening, Tikkie Line, Sundra Town, Eloff Town, Modder East Orchards, Rietkol Breswoll and Katboschfonein are left stranded because of the department’s negligence.
The department has now committed to prioritise the appointment of a professional nurse and a driver for the mobile vehicle since it needs a person with code 14 (assuming?) in the next financial year pending availability of funds.
The DA will not allow Department of Health not to prioritize the residents of Victor Khanye and to continue to let them suffer. We will be monitoring the department’s progress to ensure they fulfil this mandate.