Hospital report 'mischievous'
2005-10-06 13:34
Cape Town - The office of Eastern Cape health MEC, Bevan Goqwana, on Thursday said the DA had "grossly exaggerated" conditions at Cecilia Makhiwane and Mthatha General hospitals.
"This sweeping generalisation by the DA and the method used boggles one's mind," said spokesman Sizwe Kupelo in a statement.
Kupelo was responding to DA MP Dianne Kohler-Barnard on Wednesday naming the country's "five worst hospitals" - Gauteng's Natalspruit, Mpumalanga's Rob Ferreira, KwaZulu-Natal's Mahatma Gandhi Memorial hospitals, as well as the two in the Eastern Cape.
Kupelo said management of hospitals in the Eastern Cape had been strengthened by the clustering of hospitals under one management structure, and by employing chief executive officers for complexes and executive officers for district hospitals.
Kupelo said the department didn't deny there were "critical areas" that needed attention.
However, simply apportioning blame without taking cognisance of positive developments and health programmes, was "mischievous" and smacked of the "witch-hunt tendencies the DA seems to be so good at".
Kupelo said the selective report is an attempt to undermine the department's efforts of improving the state of hospitals throughout the Eastern Cape.
He said the DA's report shouldn't come as a surprise because of elections around the corner.
Kupelo said the department had on several occasions acknowledged the challenges it faced, such as the quality of services at hospitals.
Other interventions included a rationalisation drive in the East London hospital complex - Frere and Cecilia Makhiwane hospitals - aimed at addressing the legacy of the past and accelerating service delivery.
He said the DA was welcome to approach the provincial health department with any suggestions without resorting to "political stunts" and confusing the public.
- SAPA