Newcastle Provincial Hospital not coming back
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health (DOH) is not budging on health services.
Despite a recent petition and subsequent picket outside Newcastle Provincial Hospital, with residents hoping for change may find themselves disappointed.
Responding to questions from the media, KZN DOH spokesperson, Ncumisa Mafunda said:
“The rationalisation of services is based on the efficient utilisation of scarce staff skills.”
Mafunda said instead of having certain limited and scattered services, the centralisation of state health services was considered more ‘cost effective and beneficial’ to the community.
She also noted the distance to Madadeni Provincial Hospital was a mere 15 kilometres.
“If there is an emergency, a patient is stabilised at Newcastle [Provincial] Hospital, and then transferred to Madadeni [Provincial] Hospital for further treatment.”
The Newcastle Advertiser posted a video to Facebook earlier in the month, asking residents if they believed the petition and picketing would bring about any change at all.
Residents seem to feel it won’t make a difference.
ALSO READ: Newcastle residents demand better health care
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