The supply of chronic medication including ARVs and TB drugs due to the on-going strike by health workers in North-West has run out.
The Department has been unable to distribute medication to all its health centres and hospitals in the last three weeks.
Striking employees want the immediate dismissal of Head of the Department Dr. Thabo Lekalakala who has been linked to Gupta-corruption.
The Department is bankrupt, and the R21 million ARV grant has been depleted in favour of alleged irregular tenders of private ambulances.
Acting HOD Vuyo Mbulawa described the situation as a ticking time bomb.
“The implications are that hospitals had baffler stocks, but because we have been unable to distribute medicine for the past two and half weeks now, the stocks have ran out now. So patients are being returned from facilities because they are not able to get their treatment. Some of the patients that are receiving chronic medication, specially patients that are receiving ARVs and patients that are being treated for TB. Sooner or later our theatre would not be able to operate patients anymore. So patients that are coming through our hospitals will be turned back.”
