Note to editors: Please find the attached soundbite by Madeleine Hicklin MPL.
Dr Yusuf Dadoo Hospital is facing a deepening crisis as mounting debt, failing infrastructure, and severe staff shortages continue to place immense pressure on healthcare services and patient care in communities of Krugersdorp, Randfontein, Westonaria, Magaliesburg, Muldersdrift, and Hekpoort, among others.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) discovered this during a recent oversight inspection by the Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Health and Wellness Portfolio Committee at the hospital.
According to the hospital’s management, the facility has accumulated debt of more than R18.4 million from the 2024/2025 budget. That means instead being used to deliver quality health services to patients a significant portion of the new R412.8 million budget will be diverted away to settle this historical debt.
While deeply concerned, the DA is not surprised by these revelations, as the Gauteng Department of Health (GDOH) is widely known for failing to pay suppliers within the prescribed 30-day period required under the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). Moreover, the Auditor-General’s 2024/2025 report shows that the department’s accrual-adjusted deficit increased from R1.5 billion to R2.6 billion as expenditure continued to exceed revenue.
Compounding the accruals crisis at this facility is a range of severe understaffing and equipment challenges at the 115-year-old hospital. The hospital has 295 beds, but due to staffing shortages, only 268 are operational. The hospital has at least 30 nursing vacancies, seven administration and 10 vacant support staff roles, while the theatre relies on a single working autoclave for sterilisation.
The DA calls on the Gauteng Health MEC, Faith Mazibuko, to urgently intervene and address the escalating crisis at the facility. Nothing must be allowed to hinder effective service delivery or compromise the safety and dignity of both patients and healthcare workers.
Gauteng residents deserve a quality healthcare system. The DA remains the only party committed to delivering accessible, affordable, high-quality healthcare for all. A DA-led Gauteng government will prioritise the timely payment of suppliers, the urgent filling of critical posts, and the proper maintenance of hospital infrastructure at facilities such as Yusuf Dadoo Hospital, ensuring residents receive the standard of care they are entitled to.