Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi says an investigation is under way to determine why early warning systems failed to prevent stock shortages at Uitenhage Provincial Hospital in Kariega.
The probe follows a parliamentary question from EFF MP Noluvuyo Tafeni, who asked why alerts were not triggered before the shortages became severe and who was responsible for ensuring essential patient care items remained in stock.
Motsoaledi said multiple levels of management are accountable for stock control, including the ward manager, stores and pharmacy manager, procurement manager, finance manager and the medical depot manager.
“The CEO has been placed on precautionary transfer while the department investigates various allegations related to Uitenhage Provincial Hospital, including the shortage of medical supplies,” the minister said.
Responding to Tafeni, Motsoaledi said: “Uitenhage Hospital has had intermittent shortages of some items, which include certain medicine products, abdominal swabs, Plaster of Paris, sanitary towels, gloves and masks.”
Tafeni also pressed the minister about the emergency interventions to ensure patients are treated with dignity while shortages persist.
“The measures taken by the Eastern Cape department of health to address stockouts of medicine include provision of alternatives as substitutes. This is done to ensure continuity and effectiveness of care,” Motsoaledi responded.
On monitoring mechanisms, the minister said public hospitals rely on a digital system to track stock levels and trigger alerts.
“In hospitals, the department makes use of the Rx Solution System to monitor minimum and maximum stock levels. The wards monitor their stock, places orders at their stores or pharmacy when their levels run low. Stores and pharmacy monitor their stock levels and place orders directly or via the medical depot,” he said.
The minister said the Rx Solution System monitors stock and triggers early warnings whenever the stock levels are below the threshold.
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