Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mpumalanga has written to the South African Human Rights Commissioner (SAHRC) asking them to investigate why patients are denied the use of a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner, even though the instrument was installed at Rob Ferreira Hospital as far back as October 2024.
The scanner, which was purchased in September 2024, is laying idle in the hospital. Health MEC, Sasekani Manzini, said this is because they are not able to get all radiographers together for training. It only takes 2-days to do an MRI course.
In a legislature sitting last week, MEC Manzini confirmed that the MRI scanner was purchased and installed at Rob Ferreira hospital in a process that started in October 2024. Strangely, not a single patient has received an MRI scan since the purchase and installation because the department has not yet had time to train Radiographers. This is what the MEC told the legislature. This is unacceptable and contradictory. In their Third Quarter Report to the Portfolio Committee on Health, the Provincial Health Department said training of Radiographers was successfully concluded on 20 May 2025. They said the MRI scanner was ready for operational use.
MEC Manzini went further to state that there is no patient waiting for an MRI or computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan in Mpumalanga. However, the DA disputes this as we have received numerous complaints from patients, as well as family members complaining about having to wait more than 4 weeks for a CAT scan, and many have been turned away due to no MRI machine in the province.
We want the SAHRC to investigate this undue delay in using this machine that was bought for the sole purpose of saving the lives of Mpumalanga residents.
Regards
Bosman Grobler: MPL
DA Spokesperson on Health: Mpumalanga Legislature