The visit on Wednesday (25/3) and Thursday will review progress and ongoing challenges in public health facilities. The committee will meet with the provincial health department to discuss solutions for persistent problems.

The oversight will mainly address problems related to infrastructure, such as upgrading, constructing and renovating of facilities. It will also look at issues like inefficient project management and delays in finishing key developments, according to parliamentary media liaison Themba Gubula.

Maintenance challenges are also expected to come under scrutiny, particularly the reliance on external service providers and concerns around water supply. In addition, the committee will assess whether the existing infrastructure sufficiently supports healthcare personnel.

The committee is set to visit several facilities across the province, including Mmabana Phahlameng Clinic, Heidedal Community Health Centre, Pelonomi Regional Hospital, MUCPP Community Health Centre, Gateway Clinic, the Free State EMS depot, National District Hospital and Universitas Academic Hospital.

Spending of grants to be reviewed

In addition to looking at infrastructure, the committee plans to review how conditional grants were spent and assess if budget reductions or misallocated funds are behind unfinished or incomplete projects, according to Gumbula. They will also investigate how these financial and structural problems affect the delivery of quality healthcare services.

Residents across the Free State have repeatedly raised concerns about deteriorating conditions in public health institutions. Complaints of inadequate services, poor patient care and crumbling infrastructure have become increasingly common.

'Visibly dirty and untidy'

These concerns have been echoed by the SA Human Rights Commission, which confirmed several troubling findings following an investigation prompted by a DA report in 2022. DA spokesperson Michele Clarke described conditions at one hospital as “visibly dirty and untidy”, highlighting the urgency of intervention.

Last year, the DA had indicated its intention to escalate the matter by requesting that key stakeholders appear before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Health, chaired by Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, to account for the ongoing crisis.

OFM News reported ongoing problems, including persistent staff shortages and restricted access to medication, impacting multiple healthcare facilities throughout the province. In certain instances, some centres have had to close because of unsafe or worsening infrastructure.

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OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi  cvdw