The hospital committee at the government-run Martha Griffiths Community Health Centre in Port Nolloth, Northern Cape – which has been open only for a year – is appealing the public for donations after running out of medicines, cleaning supplies and toilet paper.
The hospital committee has for appealed for donations of Panado syrup, surgical gloves, urine drainage bags, catheters, paraffin gauze and medication for diabetes and high blood pressure, among other essentials.
The appeal was made in a WhatsApp broadcast message, reports News24.
The message read: “… as it is widely known, there is currently a crisis in the health services due to shortages in medicine and surgical supplies. … It’s time to help where we can. There is an immediate need for certain medications. I give you the list of necessities and ask that everyone who can purchase and contribute something and hand it to the hospital committee.”
A committee member who asked to remain anonymous said the situation at the hospital – the only public facility in the area – was bad, and that it did not even have toilet paper.
Wayne Duvenage, CEO of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA), said it was shocking that the public was asked to donate medicines to a government hospital.
“When the government cannot fulfil its duty, it is the beginning and the end of the functionality of that hospital. We saw this in Tembisa Hospital when money was used for unnecessary things,” he said.
He called for an inquiry to determine what had happened to the hospital’s budget, because someone needed to be held accountable.
The DA’s health spokesperson in the Northern Cape, Isak Fritz, said cash flow constraints within the provincial Health Department had reached critical levels.
“Last week, we had an oversight inspection at Dr Arthur Letele Medical Logistics Centre in Kimberley. The depot’s inability to fully pay its debts has been snowballing for two financial years, seeing accruals of medicine currently standing at R143m,” he said
The non-delivery of stock resulted from non-payment, he added, with only about 20% of suppliers paid in full monthly.
Last week, provincial Health Department spokesperson Lulu Mxekezo said the department was “working on resolving challenges with some pharmaceutical companies as soon as possible”.
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