By Levy Masiteng
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health said Mapulaneng Hospital in Mpumalanga province should not operate in its current condition, warning that failures in infrastructure and basic services pose risks to patients and staff.
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The committee said an oversight visit to the hospital in Bushbuckridge this week found “severe and systemic” problems linked to “infrastructure decay, funding constraints, management weaknesses and staffing shortages”.
The committee called for urgent reviews of boiler registrations and safety inspections to avert “catastrophic consequences”.
It also raised concerns about medical equipment, saying a CT scanner costing about R10 million remained unused and patients were being referred elsewhere.
It told hospital management to ensure the machine was made fully operational expeditiously.
Delays in building a replacement hospital was compounding the crisis, said the committee.
It said the July completion deadline was unlikely to be met. There were clear visible defects on site, and indications the contractor was “defaulting”, it said.
The committee said it was seeking “clear plans, timelines and accountability” from the Mpumalanga departments responsible for health and public works and infrastructure.
It also flagged pressure on operating theatres and ongoing water-supply problems that compromised hygiene and patient care.
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The committee asked for detailed reports on non-functional ambulances and other service failures.
It also requested a detailed written report from the Mpumalanga Department of Health within three months, setting out corrective measures and timelines.
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