Dankie Voorsitter. Ek gee hiermee kennis dat ek op die volgende sittingsdag sal voorstel:
Dat die Raad kennis neem dat -
1) ondanks die feit dat ons gesondheidsorg groot tekorte aan professionele gesondheidswerkers ondervind, ons nou ook sukkel met vertragings rondom die bou van beplande hospitale - ek verwys spesifiek na Upington waar werkloosheid sevier en waar die bou van die plaaslike hospitaal uitgestel is en dat hierdie stap veroorsaak het dat pasinte nou 300 km ver vervoer moet word vir spesiale mediese sorg;
2) gister, tydens so 'n rit, twaalf pasinte waarvan twee kinders was, op pad na De Aar tragies in 'n ongeluk gesterf het;
3) ons Grondwet voorsiening maak vir gehalte-mediese sorg aan landsburgers en dat dit kommerwekkend is om te besef dat ons weer eens in 'n grondwetlike krisis gedompel is, omdat siek plattelandse pasinte nie hul grondwetlike reg kon uitoefen nie;
4) ons plattelandse dorpe nog steeds swak gesondheidsorg beleef en ons 'n dringende beroep op ons Minister van Gesondheid doen om onmiddellik die nood van die platteland aan te spreek;
5) daar geen plaasvervanger is vir lewe nie en plattelandse pasinte se grondwetlike reg op gehalte-gesondheidsorg gister weer eens benadeel is; en
6) medelye betuig aan die gestorwenes se naasbestaandes en glo dat ons Hemelse Vader se genade alleen die verlies sal kan vul. (Translation of Afrikaans notice of motion follows.)
[Ms H LAMOELA: Thank you, Chairperson. I hereby give notice that at the next sitting I will move:
That the House notes that -
1) despite the fact that our health care is experiencing a shortfall of health-care providers, we are now also struggling with delays around the construction of planned hospitals- I am referring to Upington in particular where unemployment prevails and the construction of local hospitals have been postponed and that this has resulted in patients now having to be transported 300 km away for specialised medical care;
2) yesterday, during such a trip, twelve patients, two of whom were children, died tragically in an accident on their way to De Aar;
3) our Constitution provides for quality medical care for all citizens and it is distressing to realise that we are once again immersed in a constitutional crisis because ill patients from rural areas were unable to exercise their constitutional right;
4) our rural towns are still experiencing inferior health care and we urgently appeal to the Minister of Health to address the plight of the rural districts immediately;
5) life is irreplaceable and yesterday the constitutional right to quality health care for rural patients was, once again, violated; and
6) our condolences are conveyed to the relatives of the deceased with the belief that only the mercy of our Heavenly Father can compensate for their loss.]