“The organisation is frustrated with the quality of health care being provided in the health facilities,” Mpumalanga TAC Provincial Coordinator Linda Mavuso told OurHealth. “Every day, thousands of people continue to express their disapproval of poor quality health care service delivery through our offices.”

According to Mavuso, medicine stock outs, deteriorating infrastructure and long waiting times are among the top issues that need to be addressed within the provincial health system.

“Last week, I was in the (Ermelo Clinic) to collect my mother’s asthma spray, but the facility was short of medicine and the asthma spray was one of them,” said TAC member Ntomfuthi Shongwe. “I was told to come back (for the spray) next year on 19 January 2015.”

TAC coordinator with the civil society Stop the Stock Outs Campaign, Dali Mbatha, said he found more than 20 medicines and pregnancy tests out of stock at the same clinic.[quote float=”right”]”I was in the clinic to collect my mother’s asthma spray, but the facility was short of medicine…I was told to come back next year”

Provincial Chairperson Sibusiso Masiteni also described conditions at one of the province’s Standerton Specialised Tuberculosis (TB) Hospital.

“When it’s raining you will found water in the ward rooms,” said Masiteni speaking from the local clinic in Ermelo, Mpumalanga. “(Here, officials) are busy paying over R200 000 monthly for rent instead of building a new hospital.”

At the picket, the TAC delivered a letter of demands to Gert Sibande District’s Primary Healthcare Manager Dimakatso Mofammere and Chief Director Vukani Khoza. Khoza promised to reply to the demands within seven days.

“We are not here to count your mistakes or tell you to get out of leadership, but we are because we want what we were promised by our government,” TAC National Deputy Chairperson Nelly Malinga told officials. “People don’t have to die for change to happen.” – Health-e News.

• Read more: TAC demands better health care in Mpumalanga

An edited version of this story was published in siSwati in the 5 December edition of Khanyisa Media