Despite plans, commitments and promises to the contrary, Eastern Cape Health Department leadership has failed to finalise an affordable staff organogram, failed to fill critical frontline posts, failed to renew essential contracts, failed to fill the thousands of still vacant Emergency Medical Services (EMS) posts and failed to address the mental health crisis in the province. The Democratic Alliance has been calling for the Department to be placed under administration, …


Read More

Severe ambulance shortages, short-staffed emergency medical services and no apparent plans in place for temporary air ambulance services all cast doubts on the Department of Health’s ability to deal with emergencies over the Easter Holidays. The increase in road accidents and other trauma cases over the Easter holiday period is well documented, but despite promising to take steps to boost paramedic and ambulance numbers in the Eastern Cape Province, the …


Read More

The Democratic Alliance condemns in the strongest terms the illegal strike by nurses that is planned to take place across the province today, in protest against the termination of contracts for Community Healthcare Workers and Grant-funded Covid-19 Healthcare Workers at the end of March. There have already been reports of incidents at some provincial hospitals. For instance, at the Cradock Hospital, desperately ill patients, including children, have been sent home …


Read More

The tender process to appoint a new aeromedical service for the Eastern Cape, that would ensure a functional air ambulance service to airlift critically injured and ill patients to medical facilities, has already been delayed. Last week, the Democratic Alliance revealed that Health MEC, Nomakhosazana Meth, had finally cancelled the tender awarded to Leli Investments, after the company proved incapable of fulfilling the requirements of the contract. In a recent …


Read More

The Eastern Cape Health Department needs to drastically cut its obscenely bloated non-medical staff cohort and protect the operational budgets of district, provincial and tertiary hospitals. This is the only way the Department will be able to improve its financial prospects for the 2022/2023 financial year and ensure that hospitals function effectively. Last year it was revealed that a whopping R3,57 billion was spent on non-medical officials, while just R1,56 …


Read More

Health MEC Nomakosazana Meth failed to get the aeromedical service up and running over the festive season, despite her vocal promises to do so, and her inaction could very well have cost people their lives. This service, which should have been operational six months ago, is vital in getting critical patients with life-threatening conditions to hospital as soon as possible. Over the festive season, 210 people lost their lives in …


Read More

As we head into the festive season, more than forty hospitals across the Eastern Cape are unable to adequately feed patients who are spending their holidays away from their loved ones, but Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar Mabuyane, has publicly stated that the Department of Health is not in crisis. Service providers have gone unpaid for months, medical devices required for surgeries cannot be procured, mental health patients across the province …


Read More

Four months after the High Court set aside an interdict that prevented Black Eagle Ambulance Services from operating in the Eastern Cape, they have yet to leave the ground. In their bid to have the interdict against them set aside, the company claimed that they had invested “immense expenditure” in preparing to carry out the contracted service. This included purchasing specialised equipment, refurbishing other equipment and contracting and training crew. …


Read More