Durban - The Inkatha Freedom Party on Tuesday said that it would continue to make unannounced inspections of KwaZulu-Natal’s health facilities, despite the province’s health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo saying that such visits were banned.
The IFP’s caucus leader in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature, Blessed Gwala, said that the party’s members in the legislature would not be threatened by Dhlomo or any other MEC when making unannounced visits.
Gwala’s statement follows Dhlomo’s announcement last week in the legislature that opposition MECs could not visit health institutions without prior approval.
“When you wake up, feel bored and decide to go to hospitals and clinics, you will never be allowed in. I can guarantee you,” Dholmo said, when he addressed a full sitting of the legislature in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday where the performance of his department was debated.
However, Gwala countered this on Tuesday, saying: “We will continue to serve the people of KwaZulu-Natal and put their interests before the inflated egos of MECs who do not want shoddy treatment by government to be exposed. There is no point in going on announced oversight visits when officials are given sufficient time to window-dress and put on a show for MPLs whilst on all other days our people are faced with bad attitudes from staff, lazy and incompetent officials and public offices that are ill equipped to cater for their needs.”
Gwala said that members of his party would not disrupt the operations of the health institutions when conducting such oversight visits.
Dhlomo had said such visits disrupted the work of the hospitals and health clinics.
“We want to advise the likes of Dr Dhlomo not to threaten MPLs in the hope of covering up the mess in their departments. Rather they should look into our findings and attempt to improve service delivery to our people,” countered Gwala.
ANA