Parliament, Tuesday, 30 June 2020 – The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, has noted with concern the Covid-19 test kits found on the side of the road in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape.
The incident indicates that, “protocols for safety standards were compromised and not properly followed,” said Dr Dhlomo. “This is a clear sign of negligence and this is unacceptable. Members of Parliament who reside in the Eastern Cape have constantly been informing me of the challenges regarding the management of the Covid-19 pandemic in the province. As committee Chair, I have escalated these challenges to the Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize.”
“I would like to thank Dr Pumza Dyantyi, a committee member who has been monitoring and providing information on the developments in the Eastern Cape. We welcome the swift manner in which the Eastern Cape Department of Health has addressed and responded to the matter. The committee also needs to attend to the matter and we will wait for the investigation into what happened to be finalised. It is important to be furnished with the report of the investigation so that such an incident does not occur again. On the investigation of the test kits, we will be also expecting a report on the other concerns raised.”
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, DR SIBONGISENI DHLOMO.
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