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The Democratic Alliance (DA) wants the Northern Cape Department of Roads and Public Works to be held accountable for leaving health services in Daniëlskuil in tatters.

An oversight inspection to the town’s Community Health Centre (CHC) this week, revealed that the facility was abandoned by the department four years ago.

Just two days after the department swooped on the facility in 2018, to commence with infrastructural repairs and upgrades, they left and never returned. This is despite them already having clearly marked out work still to be done. In effect, the department cordoned off entire rooms with red tape, including a bathroom, and left scribbled instructions all over the walls. They even left taps leaking and work on a half-installed basin was deserted midway. 

The failure by the department to finish the upgrades to the dilapidated health centre, has only worsened the level of health services in Daniëlskuil. Health services in the run-down facility are marked by staff shortages, lack of ambulances, and medication being out of stock, such as blood pressure pills and tablets for stomach ulcers. Old people further sit in long lines, on cold cement, and are not prioritized..

The state of care at the facility clearly reflects the state of the facility’s infrastructure, which is very poor indeed.

It is unacceptable that the CHC has been left to degrade even further. The situation raises many questions, that we demand answers on:

• Why was work stopped?
• Who was the contractor?
• How much was paid for the repairs?
• Why didn’t Public Works return and why hasn’t the Health Department followed-up on the matter?

The DA will submit questions to the respective MECs regarding this unfinished business.

It cannot be that while dedicated staff push forward, with the limited resources they have, government simply does nothing.

Issued by DA