ANC says fire Botha if he does not resign
The Western Cape ANC says the DA's health MEC Theuns Botha is still running away from taking full responsibility for the medicine dispensing chaos in the province while thousands of patients' lives are at stake as several shortages and irregular availability of lifesaving chronic medication festers on (see Cape Argus report).
ANC spokesperson for health Mcebisi Skwatsha (ANC) says: "It is the third time in two years that scores of patients with life-threatening conditions are queuing in long lines, get turned away and not receive the medication they need. Repeated shortages have now become the characteristic of this DA government with Botha as the MEC of health.
"It is tantamount to gambling with the lives of hundreds of thousands of poor and ordinary state patients in the province. Insulin for diabetics, inflammatory reducing and chemotherapy treatment are again not readily available. This happens only three months after the previous bout. It infringes on the rights of patients, sentence them to possible death and inconvenience many very poor people by not giving them essential medication.
"The many excuses and blame shifting is lame. Botha is seen making statements on the closure of schools and the shortages of handbooks. He should leave the education portfolio as his own department lacks due leadership to sort out his medicine crisis. He spends too much time monitoring health in the Eastern Cape, while his department fails people. He should rather go. The Western Cape deserves better than this mayhem."
The ANC has repeated its call for Botha to resign for the widespread debacle which has inconvenienced and endangered the lives of many poor and vulnerable patients in the Western Cape. He is the political head of that department which is riddled with many cases of poor service delivery. As MEC he is the responsible person and the buck stops with him as he is accountable to the public and voters.