THE Democratic Alliance has called for the resignation of Mpumalanga health MEC Gillion Mashego.
He has been accused of causing the collapse of basic healthcare and the loss of over R60 million to medical negligence payouts in the province.
The DA, led by provincial leader James Masango and chairpwoman Jane Sithole, marched to the provincial legislature in Mbombela yesterday, calling for the MEC’s resignation within 14 days.
Sithole said the department has abolished 12 836 posts. This has led to severe staff shortages. She said in the last two financial years, the department destroyed medicine worth over R5 million.
Spokesman for the department of health Dumisani Malamule said the DA continues to paint MEC Mashego with a black brush.
“The department destroyed medication. “This was done because of the change of treatment protocols, substandard infrastructure, shortage of space for arrangement of stick, medicines returned from patients who are no longer using them and medicines supplied with a short expiry dates,” he said.
Malamule said it is sad the DA has failed to see the number of health facilities renovated and built.