The Junior Doctors’ Association of South Africa (Judasa) at Limpopo notes with great disdain the window-dressing that has become paramount fashion in our public health care administration. Prior to the 2010 Fifa World Cup most public hospitals in Limpopo looked like deserted dungeons with dilapidated physical structures. The shortage of funds was made to be an eternal excuse for not resuscitating our rundown health care infrastructure. However, we were all marvelled at how funds to give most of our hospital gates and walls, multi-million Rand facelifts became miraculously available at a moment’s notice in the year 2010.
This became a clear indication that our public administration was more than willing to put up a forged show to the rest of the World that our public service is so great, that even the entrances into our hospitals are glamorous. Nevertheless, it remained a pity that the 2010 window-dressing tournament did not lead into a qualitative improvement of essential equipments needed in most of our public hospitals.
Under the illusion that window-dressing was only to be experienced amid the 2010 World Cup, little did we expect that it was to become a permanent feature of our public administration. For the past two years, we have complained ad nauseam about the neglected, roach-infested and filthy doctors’ residences at most public hospitals. Our pleas mostly fell on deaf ears, until it was announced that the President of the country is coming to deliver the ANC’s January 8th statement at Polokwane.
During the first week of January 2011, we saw our hospital yards and doctors’ residences cleaned with enthusiasm yet unparalleled on ordinary working days. Gardeners were made to run up and down, six to six, in order to meet the January 8th deadline to cut down all the tall grass that has housed snakes, rodents and cockroaches for the past two years. Plumbers were sourced from all over the province to fix all the leaking sewage pipes which resulted in free-flowing sewage in the hospital premises. Cleaners were instructed to pull out all their energy to scrub and wash even the windows that have never been washed since they were fitted. This was all in preparation for the President’s much anticipated presence in the province during the weekend of 8 and 9 January 2011.
It is very disturbing that excellent public service is only offered when people who are more important than the ordinary South African are anticipated to bless our shores with their presence. This country would certainly be a better place if public servants did their best all the time, and not only when ‘the messiah’ is coming.
Dr Tende Makofane, Chairperson Junior Doctors’ Association of South Africa (Judasa) in Limpopo
