ActionSA has written to KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli, demanding immediate and decisive action to address the province’s catastrophic medication shortages, which have resulted in inadequate healthcare services.
It is completely unacceptable that, instead of addressing the crisis, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health embarked on a public relations campaign last week in an attempt to debunk the reality of medication shortages.
This is an insult to the people of KwaZulu-Natal, who have been engaging with us on social media, expressing their frustrations and anger over not receiving vital medication.
We are inundated with calls from healthcare workers who are frustrated by these working conditions but also can not speak out in fear of victimisation .
These are fellow citizens who are doctors, nurses, and pharmacists who have to face patients every day and see them suffer.
In response, we took it upon ourselves to consolidate reports from the public and compile a list of healthcare facilities where people on social media have complained about the unavailability of medication.
Additionally, we furnished the Premier with a list of a small fraction of out-of-stock medication from St. Benedictine Hospital in KwaNongoma, demonstrating that this crisis is not manufactured but a lived reality for thousands of patients.
We have demanded that the Premier provide a comprehensive plan of action by Friday, 14 February 2025, outlining:
1. An emergency procurement and distribution plan for essential medication.
2. A strategy to fix the systemic failures within the provincial healthcare system.
3. Accountability measures for officials responsible for the crisis.
Failure to respond with an adequate plan will leave us with no choice but to escalate the natter through legal action, appeals to the national government, and mobilising communities to demand urgent intervention.
The people of KwaZulu-Natal are suffering, and no amount of PR spin can erase this issue.
ActionSA will not stand by while this government abandons its responsibility to provide lifesaving medication to its residents..
ActionSA Writes to KZN Premier Demanding Urgent Action from Over Critical Medication Shortages
ActionSA has written to KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli, demanding immediate and decisive action to address the province’s catastrophic medication shortages, which have resulted in inadequate healthcare services.
It is completely unacceptable that, instead of addressing the crisis, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health embarked on a public relations campaign last week in an attempt to debunk the reality of medication shortages.
This is an insult to the people of KwaZulu-Natal, who have been engaging with us on social media, expressing their frustrations and anger over not receiving vital medication.
We are inundated with calls from healthcare workers who are frustrated by these working conditions but also can not speak out in fear of victimisation .
These are fellow citizens who are doctors, nurses, and pharmacists who have to face patients every day and see them suffer.
In response, we took it upon ourselves to consolidate reports from the public and compile a list of healthcare facilities where people on social media have complained about the unavailability of medication.
Additionally, we furnished the Premier with a list of a small fraction of out-of-stock medication from St. Benedictine Hospital in KwaNongoma, demonstrating that this crisis is not manufactured but a lived reality for thousands of patients.
We have demanded that the Premier provide a comprehensive plan of action by Friday, 14 February 2025, outlining:
1. An emergency procurement and distribution plan for essential medication.
2. A strategy to fix the systemic failures within the provincial healthcare system.
3. Accountability measures for officials responsible for the crisis.
Failure to respond with an adequate plan will leave us with no choice but to escalate the natter through legal action, appeals to the national government, and mobilising communities to demand urgent intervention.
The people of KwaZulu-Natal are suffering, and no amount of PR spin can erase this issue.
ActionSA will not stand by while this government abandons its responsibility to provide lifesaving medication to its residents..