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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Free State Province says it will be writing to the Free State MEC for Health Mr Manyatso Mahlatsi seeking answers to the disheartening conditions at the National Regional Hospital Maternity Ward.
Dulandi Leech, the DA Member of the Portfolio Committee for Health in the Free State Legislature says this follows reports that the National Regional Hospital Maternity Ward has been closed and patients are being referred to Pelonomi Hospital. She says it raises serious concerns about service availability, patient capacity, and the impact on expecting mothers.
“Initial reports indicate that the Department of Labour closed the current ward due to intense cold temperatures. The DA is further concerned that the closure of the ward is only a symptom of the bigger underlying issues of mismanagement that have plagued the hospital over the years. In 2024, a fire broke out in the main maternity ward, which also resulted in its closure.
The DA will seek clarity from the MEC on the department’s plans to ensure a fully operational maternity ward at the hospital, how long the ward will be closed and also how the department plans to mitigate the impact on services at spill-over hospitals, like Pelenomi,” said Leech.
The Department of Health is yet to respond to our inquiry.
