Note to Broadcasters: Please find linked soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Hendriëtte van Huyssteen MPL
The Democratic Alliance in North West wrote to the MEC of Health, Sello Lehari, demanding urgent intervention of health and safety risks at the Witrand Psychiatric Hospital in Potchefstroom. The DA also submitted a full report to MEC Lehari as well as the Head of Department (HOD), Obakeng Mongale, and the Chairperson of the Portfolio on Health and Social Development, Karabo Magagane, with details of the findings during an oversight visit done on 2 July 2025. (See letter attached and report attached.)
To remedy such shortcomings falls outside the budget and procurement limitations of the hospital itself and must be procured through the provincial department.
Unwashed linen and patient clothing are piling up in the facility’s laundry services area because there is only one small and one large industrial washing machine in working condition and only three working tumble dryers that cannot handle the full load coming from a single washing cycle, which causes a further backlog in the drying of clothes.
This causes a major shortage in clean clothes and linen for the patients. (See pictures here, here, here, and here). The interim solution is for washing to be loaded onto a truck and taken to Klerksdorp or Mahikeng to be washed, a solution that is not sustainable. Large bags of dirty laundry can be seen all over the washing room while staff are doing their utmost best to manage this crisis.
The industrial-sized boilers to generate steam power for certain kitchen appliances used for mass food preparation and the roller irons in the laundry room, as well as the provision of hot water and heat to patient rooms, have been non-operational for approximately 3 years. Currently, gas cookers have to be used in the kitchen, the roller irons cannot be used, 43 geysers had to be procured by the hospital to provide hot water, and patient rooms cannot be heated.
Food production and delivery areas are also not equipped with CCTV cameras, creating a gap in the safety and security of these areas, leaving them vulnerable to opportunists and thieves. Installation of such CCTV camera systems needs to be done as a matter of urgency, as every gram of food stolen is a gram of food that does not reach the intended patient.
Witrand Psychiatric Hospital is a specialised hospital, rendering services to an extremely vulnerable patient category. The hospital is bound by the Patients’ Rights Charter, which guarantees a healthy and safe environment for all patients, and the Disability Rights Charter, which guarantees patient care received with respect and dignity.
The Democratic Alliance will continue to fight for all residents in North West and will continue to put pressure on the North West Government to ensure that all patients in North West receive proper medical treatment with the dignity they deserve.