This is according to the North West Legislature's Chairperson for the Portfolio Committee on Health and Social Development, Gavin Edwards, following the oversight week the committee embarked on in the Dr Segomotsi Mompati District last week. 

According to the statement issued, Edwards, together with the committee, had discovered that a Provincial Health Department official had decided to remove some emergency medical care equipment from clinics that are not far from hospitals. Meanwhile, the committee told the MEC for Health, Madoda Sambatha, to intervene and reverse the decision that was made by this official and return the equipment that was taken, to the clinics.

Edwards also lashed out at the provincial health officials following numerous complaints that the portfolio committee received about the slow response time of ambulances in the province. He said that patients cannot be expected to wait for an ambulance, hoping that it will respond fast enough to receive treatment.

OFM News has sent an enquiry to the department and is awaiting a response.

OFM News