By REGINALD KANYANE
26 May 2025- The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it has reported the terrible state of the Kuruman Hospital to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). The DA said this comes after an oversight inspection confirmed serious violations of the rights of patients and workers, to render and receive care health care in a conducive environment.
The DA councillor at Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality, Braam van der Westhuizen said the inspection was prompted by a social media video earlier in the week that went viral. Van der Westhuizen said patients allegedly complained about sitting on the cold floor on blankets, waiting for days to be attended to.
“Wards were found overcrowded and patients were lined up on stretchers in the corridors. Some were also accommodated on beds on the floor. One patient showed us a drip in her arm that was not refilled for two days.
“One of the nurses indicated that she was wearing a mask because there were a lot of TB patients in the congested facility, causing hazardous working conditions. Despite the high-risk environment, patients were not offered masks,” he said.
Van der Westhuizen further said in the maternity section, a baby lay all alone on a machine, crying, with no one to care for it. He added that the baby was at risk of falling from the open machine that was a long distance from the ground.
“The medical supply storeroom was also found wide open with no one inside, posing the risk of theft of medication. Garbage was lying around, including empty boxes and burn wound dressings that had not been disposed of.
“The courtyards were also unkempt and overgrown, and used as a dumpsite. Last year, DA spokesperson for Health, Isak Fritz, shone the spotlight on the dire state of care at Kuruman Hospital during a separate oversight inspection,” said Van der Westhuizen.
He said it is disappointing that a year later, the Northern Cape Department of Health has failed to address these shortcomings, despite promises made by the district manager and hospital CEO. Van der Westhuizen said ongoing attempts by the provincial health department and even the premier, to pretend that the state of health care in the province is satisfactory, are blatant lies.
“We have reported our findings to the SAHRC and we hope that, through their intervention, the provincial health department will be forced to own up to its serious health care failures and fix them,” he said.
Meanwhile, the acting Director for Infrastructure, Planning and Maintenance at Northern Cape Department of Health, Xola Mpekelana said: “There is a limited space in the casualty of the hospital, including the wards. However, there is a temporary intervention in place.
“We are going to put up park homes to alleviate the pressure from the casualties and the wards. We also have a long term plan to build an extended casualty in the hospital.”
Mpekelana said the project will take about 12 months and the service provider has already been appointed. He said the project will commence in July 2025.
“The park homes will accommodate over 50 people,” said Mpekelana.
The Guardian 