Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Health has sounded the alarm over deteriorating conditions at Mapulaneng Hospital in Mpumalanga, describing the state of the facility as unacceptable and in urgent need of intervention.
The concerns emerged after an oversight visit conducted in the wake of recent floods that caused widespread damage across the province.
During the inspection, committee members identified decaying infrastructure, funding shortages, staff deficits and critical medical equipment that remains unused. The stalled construction of a long-promised replacement hospital has further compounded the situation.
Committee chairperson Faith Muthambi warned that both patients and staff could be at risk if conditions are not addressed swiftly.
“It’s not safe at all,” Muthambi said. “They are sitting on a ticking time bomb because the building is not user-friendly, and many of the issues we picked up require urgent attention.”
The new hospital, initially scheduled for completion in July 2025, has now been pushed back to July 2026. The delay follows complications with a contractor responsible for phase three of the project, who has since entered business rescue.
Muthambi questioned whether there is sufficient readiness to transition to the new facility within the next few months, citing concerns about project management and accountability.
“Someone should have identified these red flags much earlier and taken corrective action by appointing capable contractors,” she said. “There must be consequence management.”
The committee has called for immediate steps to stabilise operations at the existing hospital while accelerating progress on the new facility, stressing that access to safe and reliable healthcare cannot be postponed.