Will the premier meet the ‘Reclaiming our healthcare dignity’ marchers’ demands?
“If our demands are not met by the 17th of September, we will have no choice. We will shut down this hospital until it is fixed,” the marchers said.
The ‘Reclaiming our healthcare dignity’ marchers are waiting eagerly for a response from the office of the Mpumalanga Premier, Mandla Ndlovu, after submitting their memorandum of demands earlier last week.
Disturbed by ‘horrific stories’ shared by many residents from different parts of eMalahleni, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party led the community on a protest to express their outrage and disappointment at the poor service received at the Witbank Tertiary Hospital.
“We had private engagements with the affected residents in which they individually shared their stories, and it’s really horrific stories. It’s not something that anyone could wish for his or her daughter, sister, or wife,” said George Lukhele, member of the Mpumalanga Legislature deployed by the MK.
Through their march to the hospital, the marchers said they aimed to highlight the plight of the community and ask for the removal of the current Mpumalanga Health MEC, Sasekani Manzini, as they claim that she is not fit for the position.
“We stand here because our children are dying from preventable diseases. We stand here because our mothers and sisters are giving birth in conditions worse than those of animals,” the marchers said.
In their memorandum of demands directed to the office of the premier, the residents stated that they demand the sacking of the Health MEC, dismissal of the CEO and the entire board of the hospital, an urgent improvement in the ambulance services, and they also demand the investigation of alleged rape cases in the hospital, among others.
“We want this to stop. These are our people, and it is not a joke. They are not numbers but are human beings,” Lukhele said.
The special advisor in the office of the premier, Jomo Nyambi, acknowledged receipt of the memorandum and assured that he would pass it to Ndlovu.
On the other hand, the marchers who gave the relevant officials seven days to respond wait eagerly,
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