Dear MyPE The Clinics in the Northern Areas of Nelson Mandela Bay are in crisis, with the clinic in Helenvale closed for over a year and a half due to the violent crime in the area. This has had a catastrophic knock on effect on the Malabar clinic, that has seen its case load double as Helenvale residents turn to them for help. This was revealed during an oversight inspection I conducted with DA Eastern Cape Provincial Leader, Nqaba Bhanga, DA NMB Public Health spokesperson, Leander … [Read more...] about Northern Areas clinics in crisis
Jane Cowley
Hospital closures sign of deepening crisis in EC health
Dear MyPE Just when the Department of Health should be stepping up and caring for the sick and vulnerable, they are closing their hospital doors, because they haven’t taken sufficient measures to protect their own staff, who are at the frontline of the fight against the spread of Covid-19. In the past 24 hours they have had to close Livingstone Hospital in Nelson Mandela Bay and shut down three units in Cecilia Makiwane Hospital in East London. This is symptomatic of the deepening … [Read more...] about Hospital closures sign of deepening crisis in EC health
Fire HOD Mbengashe
The DA presents their 5 point plan for the Eastern Cape Health Department to fight the spread of CCOVID-19 https://youtu.be/eCRXv-syArU Hear what the DA have to say about the spending of money on temporary hospitals and more... During the press conference Jane Cowley, the Eastern Cape Shadow MEC for Health said that HOD Dr Mbengashe should be fired before he runs Eastern Cape Health into the ground: Every day that the Eastern Cape Health Department’s Head of Department, Dr. Thobile … [Read more...] about Fire HOD Mbengashe
Eastern Cape soon to have second highest infection rate in the country
Dear MyPE The Eastern Cape is set to overtake Gauteng as the province with the second-highest confirmed cases of Coronavirus infections in the country. This is not surprising, as the province already has the highest rate of infections in prisons, and the second-highest rate of cases, recoveries and deaths per million people nationally. The disease is spreading rapidly across the province, and the Department of Health does not have the capacity to do effective tracking, tracing, and … [Read more...] about Eastern Cape soon to have second highest infection rate in the country
PAIA application submitted for daily Eastern Cape coronavirus statistics
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance has submitted a Public Access to Information Act (PAIA) Application to the Eastern Cape Department of Health, requesting daily statistics relating to the spread of Covid-19 be provided. On Monday the DA highlighted the lack of transparency and lack of reliable screening, testing, track and trace and other data being made available. Communication of statistics is irregular and inconsistent, which hampers planning an effective response. The DA in the … [Read more...] about PAIA application submitted for daily Eastern Cape coronavirus statistics
What’s the Plan, Premier?
Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar Mabuyane, must break radio silence and share the province’s plans to deal with the Coronavirus outbreak in the Eastern Cape Dear MyPE While the Democratic Alliance welcomes the plans the Premier is putting in place to alleviate the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on the provincial economy once the lockdown is over, there has been very little forthcoming about what the province is doing to deal with the pandemic from a health perspective over the coming weeks. I … [Read more...] about What’s the Plan, Premier?
Eastern Cape in the dark regarding the true extent of Coronavirus
Testing Delays Take Their Toll Dear MyPE It is impossible to say to what extent the Coronavirus has truly spread through the Eastern Cape if the latest statistics made available by Premier Oscar Mabuyane are anything to go on. The Premier revealed that, as of Saturday, of the over 35,000 national Coronavirus tests that have been processed, only 77 of those have been for people from the Eastern Cape, 12 of which have been positive. This flies in the face of the National Health … [Read more...] about Eastern Cape in the dark regarding the true extent of Coronavirus
Preparations for Coronavirus must be prioritised
COVID-19 - Things just got real Dear MyPE The Eastern Cape is ill prepared to deal with a potential Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, and drastic steps need to be taken to prevent the virus from running rampant through the province. Yesterday, 4 March 2020, the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature was informed that the province’s hospitals do not have sufficient capacity in terms of isolation wards and ventilation facilities. Today the first official case of Covid-19 in South Africa has … [Read more...] about Preparations for Coronavirus must be prioritised
Ambulance Torching Despicable
Criminals who destroyed ambulance must be brought to justice Dear MyPE The despicable act of deliberately torching a new ambulance during protest action in Booysen Park, Port Elizabeth, last night is a criminal act and the perpetrators must be found and brought to justice. In a time when our provincial Health Department is trying to deal with severe budget constraints and crippling staff shortages, medical facilities and ambulances, this act of arson by a disgruntled community is … [Read more...] about Ambulance Torching Despicable
Billions of rands in medico-legal claims continue to cripple EC Health
Dear MyPE The Department of Health in the Eastern Cape faced a contingent liability of R29 billion at the beginning of this financial year. The overwhelming majority of this liability is made up of medico-legal claims against the department. This is a massive and very worrying 21% increase from last year when contingent liability was R24 billion. Of great concern is the fact that the total budget for Health in the province for this year is only R25 billion, which is R4 billion less than … [Read more...] about Billions of rands in medico-legal claims continue to cripple EC Health
Proposed EMS strike could cause untold harm to EC residents
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance is alarmed by a voice clip circulating in the Eastern Cape which states that Emergency Medical Services in the province will down tools from tomorrow (Wednesday, 11 December 2019). If the proposed strike of EMS personnel goes ahead, the Department will have blood on its hands as a result of its administrative failures and lack of concern for its own staff. The DA understands that the proposed illegal strike is as a result of the failure of the … [Read more...] about Proposed EMS strike could cause untold harm to EC residents
Emergency Medical Services Overtime Scandal
Dear MyPE Emergency Medical Services workers are staying home on leave, but are still being paid overtime, because their names appear on the overtime roster for the month. This shocking revelation has been made by dedicated EMS workers, who are fed up with working their full quota of excess hours, while watching colleagues who sit at home and earn the same overtime hours while doing nothing. This amounts to looting of the public purse. It is believed that more than R5,5 million has … [Read more...] about Emergency Medical Services Overtime Scandal
Corpses left at accident scenes
Dear MyPE Since Friday last week, people declared dead at accident scenes in the Butterworth district and in the Buffalo City Metro have simply been left on the side of the road for hours, because Forensic Pathology employees are on strike over unpaid overtime and standby allowances. According to the striking workers, the overtime and standby allowances have not been paid since the April this year, despite promises made by the Head of Department, Dr Mbengashe. The Department of Health … [Read more...] about Corpses left at accident scenes
Tender bungle brings Livingstone Hospital operating theatres to a standstill
Dear MyPE Six operating theatres at Livingstone Hospital are standing empty while more than forty highly qualified personnel, including surgeons, theatre sisters, anaesthetists and auxiliary theatre staff sit idle, because of a bungled tender. Hundreds of patients are lying waiting in overflowing surgery wards, because the theatres have no linen. The collapse of the Livingstone Hospital is complete. Senior management is a misnomer at the facility. Those in charge at the hospital are … [Read more...] about Tender bungle brings Livingstone Hospital operating theatres to a standstill
Water woes in collapsed Komani
Dear MyPE There is plenty of water in the Xonxa dam, but due to maladministration, none of it is flowing out of the taps in Komani (formerly Queenstown). The water shortages are the direct result of the continued failure of the Chris Hani District Municipality to deliver on their mandate to deliver bulk water supply to the Enoch Mgijima municipality. As a result, schools have closed, businesses are struggling to keep their doors open and residents battle one another in queues for … [Read more...] about Water woes in collapsed Komani
