CRADOCK NEWS - The lives of patients at Cradock Provincial Hospital are hanging in the balance after electricity to the facility was cut due to non-payment of the hospital's Eskom account, allegedly by the Eastern Cape Department of Health. 

The power cut, which occurred at the start of the new financial year, has sparked outrage and renewed concerns over the state of public healthcare in the province.

Jane Cowley, DA Shadow MEC for Health, released a statement condemning the power cut, calling it "a disgrace" that puts patients' lives at "huge risk".

"Without electricity, electronic patient management systems are down, monitors and critical equipment are offline, and no surgeries can be performed," Cowley said. 

"Patients facing life-threatening conditions or difficult labour are now in extreme danger of dying unnecessarily."

The DA representative said she would write to Dr Rolene Wagner, head of the department of health, to seek clarity on the status of the electricity account and determine if other hospitals are similarly affected. 

She urged immediate settlement of all outstanding utility accounts to prevent further disruptions.

This crisis has reignited criticism over what Cowley termed the department's "continued financial mismanagement and malfeasance". 

She slammed the department's prioritisation of senior management expansions over frontline staff such as nurses and doctors, saying the decision-making "has brought healthcare service delivery in this province to its knees".

She warned that unless the department urgently redirects funds away from non-essential programmes and focuses on essential healthcare services, the situation will only worsen.

"The DA will continue to put forward workable proposals to stabilise and reform the department's finances," she said.

 "We will not stop fighting for the dignity and lives of all patients in this province."

‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’