The Limpopo Department of Health has come under fire from the Democratic Alliance, over the fact that many clinics in the province are evidently without basic medicines and vaccines.

The DA's Nomvula Modibetsane, who is a Makhuduthamaga Municipal councillor, has appealed to the department to give the matter its urgent attention. Modibetsane claimed this week that there has been a shortage for months, and said the situation was getting worse by the day.

"The department clearly does not have the capacity to deliver the most basic services, which are essential for Primary Health Care,” Modibetsane complained. Apart from the situation in the Makhududthamaga municipal area, clinics at GaMasemola, GaMashabela, Schoonoord, Mamone and Marulaneng had no vaccines, while GaMasha clinic had no medicines at all, the DA insisted.

Meanwhile, a media survey showed that similar shortages existed at clinics in the Giyani and Vhembe districts. "These clinics serve large poor populations in isolated areas; people are aware that their children need to be inoculated, but mothers are distressed to find that, for example, there is no polio vaccine available at clinics, and that they have to travel to hospitals some distance away," said DA spokesperson Anne Kirkpatrick.

The queues at most hospitals were long, and in any case many could not afford the transport costs, she added. Health care was supposed to be accessible to all residents of the province, and it was ridiculous that people had to travel great distances to find vaccines for their children, as the provision of such necessities was a key funtion of health clinics in rural areas, she insisted.

According to the DA, this lack of basics casts a very poor reflection on Limpopo. The party would continue to push for the situation to be remedied without any further delays. No immediate comment on the matter could be obtained from the department.