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More patients are going without life-saving medication, as cash flow constraints within the Northern Cape Health Department reach critical levels.

This was confirmed yesterday, during an oversight inspection to the Dr Arthur Letele Medical Logistics Centre in Kimberley, by myself and Harold McGluwa, DA Provincial Leader.

The depot’s inability to fully pay its debts has been snowballing for the past two financial years seeing accruals of medicine currently standing at R143 million.

Non-delivery of stock is the result of non-payment, with only about 20% of suppliers being paid in full on a monthly basis. This has a debilitating effect on health facilities, particularly those in the periphery.

Late last week, in a move that clearly displays their utter desperation, the Port Nolloth hospital committee sent out an appeal to the public to assist with the quickly deteriorating medicine crisis, by purchasing and donating medicines to the committee. This is for distribution to patients who are suffering and who are in urgent need of chronic and other treatment.

The list of items needed includes medicine for diabetes and high blood pressure, panado syrup, diuretics for high blood pressure, needles and syringes, IV administration sets, orthopaedic padding, surgical gloves, hypodermic needles, tongue depressors, digital thermometers, urine drainage bags, catheters and catheter packs and paraffin gauze.

Earlier last week, the DA also exposed that over 300 medicines, of which most are essential medicines, have been out of stock in Pixley ka Seme district for up to three months. We also reported on adverse effects caused by the use of alternative therapeutic products, in the case of stock-outs of anti-psychotics and medicine for drug-resistant TB.

DA NCOP member, Delmaine Christians, recently raised alarm about the Northern Cape’s medicine shortages during a plenary session whereby the NCOP unanimously resolved to call on the Minister of Health to obtain a comprehensive list of shortages, pharmaceutical debt and a plan to address the life-threatening medicine shortages.

Next week, I will also be posing an oral question to Health MEC, Maruping Lekwene, during the legislature’s oral question session, in respect of the worsening medicine shortages in the province, which aside from depriving people of their life-saving treatment, is also exposing people to risks of receiving medicine from alternate sources.

The DA will continue to put pressure on the health department to save people’s lives by ensuring that they have access to lifesaving medication.

Issued by Dr Isak Fritz, MPL - DA Northern Cape Premier Candidate