The party says this comes after they have received reports of blackouts at a number of facilities following the recent Eskom load-shedding. Provincial DA leader, Patricia Kopane, says it is imperative that all health facilities in the province are well equipped to deal with any eventualities during blackouts and that no patients are turned away. Today's oversight inspection, at the National Hospital, will be the second one in a period of less than three months after it was discovered that the hospital is plagued by high vacancy rates, a shortage of resources and vital medication as well as aged infrastructure.

OFM News in January reported that doctors at this hospital have expressed concerns over the lack of medical supplies from the Free State Medical Depot and outdated equipment in theater rooms. Many doctors stated that it is worrisome that conditions at public facilities, across the province, do not get improved and patients continue to bear the brunt.

The department's spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi's previous response to this was that the shortage of medication, personnel and resources at public hospitals in the Free State were being attended to. He added that the shortage of medication, at many public healthcare facilities, was due to international suppliers’ failure to deliver medication on time and not the department’s doing.

Following this second visit, he is yet to respond on the progress that has been made and contingency plans in cases of on-going blackouts.

OFM News