The state of the Witbank Hospital in eMalahleni Mpumalanga is a cause of concern for Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla. Dr Phaahla spent two days in the province’s high region assessing the state of health among others.
Phaahla, who was accompanied by senior officials from his department, expressed concerns with regard to the state of the hospital.
The hospital is one of the health centres often making headlines for the wrong reasons. In 2019, a patient was fatally shot in the corridor of the hospital. The incident led to the provincial government moving with speed to strengthen security.
The hospital is old and dilapidated, the ceiling is caving in and some walls are cracked and recently patients are complaining about shortage of water. They have called on the provincial government to rebuild the health facility.
Dr Phaahla says they are going to work closely with the provincial department to find solutions on the concerns raised by patients.
The minister added that rolling blackouts has a negative impact on health facilities. He says they are working together Eskom and municipalities to ensure that hospitals are exempted from power cuts. He says a team comprising of officials from his department and Eskom is looking into issue of power cuts in hospitals.
Dr Phaahla also met with the community of Klarinet Township.
