Free State Health condemns patients’ use of State vehicle for looted booze

The Free State Department of Health on Thursday 19 October said the departement condemns the behaviour of patients who were captured on social media platforms helping themselves with alcohol from a jackknifed truck on the N8 on Tuesday, 17 October 2023.

The department confirmed that these patients  were enroute from Dr. JS Moroka Hospital in Thaba Nchu to Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital in  goverment’s Planned Patient Transport for Specialist care.

The department in it’s statement said it is unimaginable “that a person, who is supposedly sick, would suddenly be fit to pickup alcoholic beverages strewn on the road, and worst of all, have the audacity to load it into a state vehicle that is meant to ferry patients to a health facility.”

The department added that this unacceptable conduct makes a mockery of the efforts to provide quality services to the people of the Free State province.

“The Department of Health condemns this behaviour in the strongest possible terms and wishes to set a record straight that this act was not perpetrated by government officials responsible for transportation of patients. Our preliminary investigation pointed us to the fact that it happened whilst the Planned Patient Transport driver was unaware and focused to the traffic ahead. The vehicle had just stopped due to road closure as a result of the jack knifed truck when patients suddenly opened the door and immediately got out to help themselves to the strewn alcoholic beverages.”

“It is our trust that such ugly scenes will never repeat themselves or be associated with the Department of Health,” the department said.