I am very pleased that donations of plaster of Paris are now assisting doctors to heal patients with broken bones at the Thelle Mogoerane Hospital after I exposed the shortage there in early August.
The situation at the hospital’s Orthopaedic Department was so bad that doctors were forced to use cardboard splints on patients.
A pre-school in Sandton contacted me and donated six boxes of plaster of Paris (see photo here).
The Dis-Chem Foundation is also making a large donation which has been matched by BSN Medical.
But the real solution is for the hospital to sort out its supply problems to get this easily available medical commodity.
The hospital has been short of plaster of Paris since April this year because they have failed to pay suppliers.
Why is it so difficult to pay suppliers on time?
It’s yet another example of incompetence like Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital running out of bread earlier this year.
Earlier this year it was disclosed that the Gauteng Health Department owed more than R4 billion to suppliers, with some bills daing back five years.
The DA will continue to push for all suppliers to be paid within the legally required 30 days