The African National Congress (ANC) Member of Parliament (MP) Tidimalo Legwase, who is also serving as the Chairperson of the Select Committee on Appropriations, conducted an unannounced oversight visit to the Mahikeng Provincial Hospital on Tuesday, 23 September 2025.
“The goal is to find collaborative solutions to the hospital’s challenges, including high bed utilization rates, nursing shortages, and infrastructure issues.
“By working together, we aim to improve healthcare services and address the needs of both staff and patients,” said Legwase.
The visit comes after several complaints raised by community members regarding challenges with patient admissions, food services, and the general cleanliness of the facility, amongst other concerns.
Speaking to City Report, Legwase indicated that after conducting an oversight meeting at the Mahikeng hospital, a report on the discussions and challenges identified will be compiled including those from previous meetings.
“This report will be submitted to the Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Honourable Karabo Magagane, to facilitate a roundtable discussion with the Department of Health and other stakeholders.
“The hospital has faced scrutiny over issues like newborn care and staffing but has shown commitment to improvement. A comprehensive approach will help overcome these challenges and enhance patient care, and the suggestion is for this meeting to take place next week,” Legwase said.
Legwase encouraged management to work collaboratively with other stakeholders: the hospital board, ward councillors, provincial Department of Health and North West Provincial Legislature to close resource gaps and reinforce effective oversight and to ensure that the hospital steadily moves towards providing the quality healthcare that the people of the North West need and deserve.
In a statement issued by the ANC, the party confirmed that although the Chairperson of the NWPL Portfolio Committee for Health and Social Development, Magagane could not join the visit, she provided her full official support for the exercise, which assisted in the engagement.
“During the visit, the constructive engagement with the hospital management was very informative and provided valuable insight into the daily operations of the facility. While it is encouraging to note that the hospital has made some progress in addressing service delivery issues, it is evident that significant challenges remain.
“These challenges, i.e., budgetary constraints, shortage of staff, and overcrowding, continue to affect the hospital’s ability to provide quality and reliable healthcare services to the people of the North West province.”
Speaking about the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI), the party said it is important that public representatives remain committed to ensuring that MPH delivers on their mandate and meet the basic healthcare needs of the North West communities.
“The concerns raised during this oversight will be followed up through the appropriate legislative processes to ensure effective oversight, accountability, and improvement.”
