MBOMBELA, MPUMALANGA — The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mpumalanga is demanding urgent intervention over severe service failures at Rob Ferreira Hospital in Mbombela, citing deteriorating infrastructure and compromised patient care.
As one of the largest public hospitals in the city, the facility services townships and surrounding areas in the Ehlanzeni region. However, the DA reports that patient care remains a significant challenge, pointing to nonfunctional toilets, a prolonged lack of hot water, and critical medication shortages at the hospital pharmacy. According to the opposition party, the deteriorating conditions have forced patients to bathe using cold water and drink tea from bottled water.
The concerns follow a recent oversight visit by the Human Rights Commission, which was prompted by an initial complaint lodged by the DA.
Cyril Tshwene, the DA Constituency Leader in Mbombela, stated that the party’s first step is for chairperson Bosman Grobbelaar to raise the matter in the provincial legislature. Tshwene emphasized that the relevant oversight committee dealing with health issues must visit the facility to verify the facts on the ground.
“This is not politicking; these are facts. Our people are not getting services,” Tshwene said, adding that the party will also write to the Health MEC to ensure accountability once the facts are verified.
Patients seeking assistance at the facility have echoed these frustrations. One patient reported visiting the hospital for a severe toothache, only to be turned away because the facility only attends to a certain number of patients per day. Upon returning the following day in immense pain, the patient noted they still had not received help. Others highlighted the appalling state of the hospital’s restrooms, describing the toilets as being in very bad condition, with some completely missing doors.
In response, the provincial Department of Health has firmly rejected the allegations, stating that all issues at the hospital have been resolved.
Addressing the hot water complaints, the Department explained that the issue began around December when a calorifier stopped supplying hot water. They noted that after the first unit was fixed, a second one subsequently broke down. The Department maintains that all broken calorifiers have now been repaired or replaced, and hot water is currently available at the facility as of the time of their statement. Furthermore, the Department explicitly denied the allegations regarding a shortage of medication at the hospital pharmacy.
