Mapaballo Borotho
- Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko has come under fire for claiming some patients prefer sleeping on hospital floors and for denying overcrowding in public hospitals.
- The DA has condemned the remarks as arrogant and out of touch, citing multiple cases of patients waiting days in casualty without beds.
- The party is calling for her dismissal, also raising concerns about corruption, poor financial management and leadership failures in the provincial health department.
Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko is under scrutiny for saying some hospital patients in Gauteng prefer sleeping on the floor rather than on hospital beds.
Nkomo-Ralehoko denied that there is an issue of overcrowding in Gauteng public hospitals. She also slammed the media, saying they always blow things out of proportion whenever they visit the province’s health facilities.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has criticised these remarks, describing them as arrogant. The party has been calling for the dismissal of Nkomo-Ralehoko, citing incompetence.
“She’s in denial about overcrowding in our health facilities, where you’ll find people sitting on armchairs, sometimes even sleeping on the floor. They’re crowded because they cannot get a ward in the hospital. The fact that the MEC could actually tell us that people prefer to sleep on the floor shows you how arrogant she is,” said DA’s Jack Bloom.
Bloom says Ralehoko’s remarks are outrageous and show she is out of touch with reality.
“Many patients spend days in casualty waiting to be admitted to a ward.
Last week, I intervened when a patient at Bheki Mlangeni Hospital was in casualty for a week before being admitted. I also referred a Facebook complaint about an elderly woman waiting on a hard chair for assistance at Far East Rand Hospital from 3pm on Sunday to 11am on Monday.
The MEC praises Malotana even though hundreds of cancer patients have suffered because he failed to spend the R250 million budgeted for radiation treatment,” said Bloom.
Lesiba Molatana, the Head of the Department of Health in the province, was suspended following allegations of corruption and maladministration. He has since been reassigned to a different post within the department.
Malotana is also implicated in the R2 billion Tembisa Hospital corruption, as he recommended the appointment of Dr Ashley Mthunzi as CEO of Tembisa Hospital in July 2021, despite discrepancies in his application form and interviews.
This was revealed in a report by the Public Protector.
“The MEC pushed for Malotana to be appointed as HOD despite all these red flags. I suspect he is politically protected as he knows which ANC politicians are involved in corrupt activities.
Premier Panyaza Lesufi is also accountable, as he was the one who appointed Malotana as HOD. He should fire his arrogant Health MEC and replace her with a competent person who does not deny obvious problems in our hospitals and clinics,” said Bloom.
Bloom added that financial management is so poor that the National Treasury has written to the department to give reasons why it should not be placed under administration.
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