Question NW663 to the Minister of Health
02 April 2024 - NW663
Thembekwayo, Dr S to ask the Minister of Health
What urgent steps of intervention has he taken at the Tintswalo Hospital in Bushbuckridge, with regard to (a) lack of nutritional food for patients, (b) water shortages, (c) infrastructural challenges and (d) shortage of medical staff?
Reply:
a) The official report from Mpumalanga Head of the department (HOD) of Health, Tintswalo hospital has not experienced a lack of nutritional food or food. Food is one of the Department’s non-negotiable priorities to ensure that patients have access to nutritious meals. A specific budget is allocated for food, enabling the hospital to seamlessly provide meals tailored to patients’ dietary needs. Strict food safety standards are adhered to, ensuring the safety of all meals served in the hospital.
b) In 2022, the Department effectively tackled the issue of water scarcity by drilling an additional borehole and installing twenty-eight (28) Jojo tanks, each with a capacity of 10,000 litres, at strategic locations. As a result of these initiatives, access to water is no longer a problem.
c) Temporary measures were implemented to address roof leaks in the wards while awaiting hospital refurbishment in the new financial year.
d) The hospital has sufficient medical staff to provide 24-hour services. It has a complement of 49 medical doctors comprising of 34 full-time doctors, 15 sessional doctors
END.