Health Minister vows dismissals as crisis deepens
Health Minister Dr Stephen Modise has issued a stark warning: once investigations into the sector’s turmoil are complete, senior officials will face dismissal as government confronts the deepening health crisis. Modise acknowledged existing deficiencies but stressed that the problems run far deeper than initially thought.
“Our investigations, which are still ongoing, have revealed that this is a systemic problem that has persisted for years. We are here to fix it,” he said, dismissing calls for his resignation as “immature.”
The Minister insisted he has first-hand knowledge of the situation after visiting hospitals.
“What you have seen at Princess Marina Hospital is nothing compared to what we have uncovered. I cannot resign when I see a problem that needs to be fixed,” he added.
Modise described entrenched practices within the system that have benefited individuals at the expense of service delivery.
“No matter how we try to resolve the problem, some people are unhappy because we are cutting off what has been beneficial to them over the years,” he said.
Without revealing full details of the ongoing investigations, Modise disclosed that medicine distribution has emerged as a major concern.
Drugs dispatched from the Central Medical Store (CMS) reportedly stall at distributor level for up to five days before reaching clinics and hospitals.
“When medicines arrive at distributors, everything comes to a standstill. You are told about processes and procedures that supposedly need to be followed—but those processes don’t exist. The service is simply being delayed. But we are going to fix this healthcare system,” Modise vowed.