The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

South Africa’s public healthcare sector is in a state of deep and undeniable crisis – the findings of the Health Ombud confirm what patients, healthcare workers, and communities have been saying for years. There is a stark and unacceptable disparity in the quality of care provided to South Africans. Whether one is black, white, rich or poor – access to dignified, safe and effective healthcare remains unequal, inconsistent and in many cases dangerously inadequate.

We welcome and commend the Health Ombud for a thorough and courageous report that lays bare the systematic failures within our public health system. The report provides critical data and evidence that should serve as a wake-up call to government. It is no longer possible to deny the depth of the crisis and the lived experiences of patients have now been validated by hard facts, and urgent intervention can no longer be delayed.

The Mental Health care inpatient facilities at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital must be closed without delay and patients should be safely relocated to appropriate facilities such as Sterkfontein Hospital and Steve Biko Academic Hospital until conditions are brought up to acceptable standards.

Thirty years into democracy, it is unacceptable that the inequalities of the past persist and, in some instances, even worsened. The failures we are witnessing today echo the injustices of the apartheid-era health system where access and quality of care were determined by circumstance rather than need. This regression cannot be tolerated in a constitutional democracy that promises dignity and equality for all.

Hospitals previously designated for black people are still worse off than hospitals that were previously designated for white people. An example of this is the fact that Steve Biko Academic Hospital has 3 full time consultants for 20 beds compared to 3 full time consultants for 120 beds at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital.

Junior staff lack support, and professional standards cannot be maintained in understaffed systems—despite many healthcare professionals being unemployed. Consequence management must apply not only to unprofessional conduct, but also to those who created chaos and continue to undermine the system.

We call on the Minister of Health to formally declare a national public healthcare crisis, not only in Gauteng but across the country. The tragedy of Life Esidimeni remains a painful reminder of what happens when systemic failures are ignored.

Issued by ActionSA Member of Parliament Dr Kgosi Letlape