Millions Allegedly Spent on Hotels for Intern Doctors by NW Health

North West (NW) Health Department is allegedly paying R6 million per month for accommodation in hotels for health practitioners at Potchefstroom Hospital.

NW DA Spokesperson on Health, Dr Tutu Faleni, said the DA was “shocked” to learn this information, and that apparently “this exorbitant expenditure has been going on since 2016”.

This revelation came to light during an oversight meeting, held in Potchefstroom, by the Committee on Health and Social Development on Tuesday.

“During this meeting, the Committee was informed that, due to the absence of proper hospital-based accommodation for health practitioners, the management of the hospital is compelled to pay for the intern doctors to stay in hotels,” said Dr Faleni. “This money is utilised from other line items from the hospital’s budget.”

He said the Committee could not confirm to him exactly how many intern doctors were staying in hotels.

A number of hospitals within the NW Province are reportedly in dire need of emergency hospital equipment.

Dr Faleni said: “For this department to spend R6m per month, solely on accommodation is ridiculous.

“The DA will write to the MEC for Health, Dr Magome Masike to find out why this money had not been used to construct the hospital’s own housing units.

“Healthcare services in the North West have almost come to a complete standstill over the past few weeks [with protests, including those at Potchefstroom Hospital]. The Health Department in this province is on the verge of total collapse and was placed under administration by the national government. Yet, this kind of irresponsible and irregular spending continues unabated.

“Following the Mediosa scandal, the DA will demand answers on who the service providers for the accommodation are and whether the necessary procurement processes were followed to pay such an exorbitant amount? We will also ascertain the precise number of intern doctors housed at the hotels.”

Scenes at Potchefstroom Hospital last month, during protests:

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