An array of socio-economic factors, like substance abuse and criminality, are said to be putting strain on the healthcare system.
This is according to the spokesperson for the Standing Committee on Health, Wendy Kaizer-Philander.
The committee conducted an oversight visit to the Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha District Hospitals on Wednesday, to assess the quality of services rendered there.
Recent social media posts have brought the Khayelitsha Hospital under fire for apparently treating its patients badly.
But, Kaizer-Philander suggests that the national government is to blame for not providing the hospitals with adequate resources.
She says strain on facilities isn’t due to the department or the hospitals’ lack of commitment, and rather the stress that societal ills put on staff, patients and infrastructure.
“Unfortunately, this is an issue which all facilities in our country face and speaks to the need for the national government to send greater resources to provinces… Going forward, we will continue to conduct oversight visits in order to hold the executive to account so that residents receive the quality services our province has to offer.”
Image: Facebook/Western Cape Provincial Parliament
