PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT DEMANDS URGENT ACTION ON INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICE DELIVERY CHALLENGES AT KOPELA CLINIC

The North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Health and Social Development has expressed concern over delays in constructing a permanent healthcare facility and persistent service delivery challenges at Kopela Clinic in the Tswaing Local Municipality. The Committee, led by Chairperson Hon. Karabo Tebogo Magagane, accompanied by Hon. Rosina Komane and Hon. Lerato Tsholo, conducted an oversight visit on Thursday, 08 October 2026, to assess the clinic’s operations and progress in addressing longstanding challenges.

During the visit, the Committee heard that the original clinic was destroyed during community protests in September 2015. Although a temporary prefabricated facility became operational in November 2023, the community continues to await a permanent structure capable of providing comprehensive healthcare services. The Committee expressed dissatisfaction that, more than a decade after the destruction of the original facility, the Department of Health could not provide definitive timelines for constructing a permanent clinic.

Members demanded a detailed, costed infrastructure plan outlining implementation phases, funding requirements and completion timelines to enable effective oversight and accountability.
The Committee further raised concerns about staffing vacancies, inadequate staff accommodation, shortages of certain chronic medications and delays in emergency medical services caused by ambulance shortages and poor road conditions.

Members questioned the clinic’s ability to meet community healthcare needs while operating on a 12-hour basis, particularly given the distances patients must travel to access higher levels of care. Concerns were also raised regarding declining childhood immunisation performance, the availability of essential medicines and environmental health risks associated with nearby open wastewater. Departmental officials acknowledged the challenges and outlined interventions, including planned improvements to the waiting area, additional office accommodation for outreach personnel and efforts to address staffing and medication shortages.

The Committee also questioned delays in completing paving and relocating the facility’s entrance gate, calling for greater scrutiny of contractor appointments, financial capacity and project management.

Members emphasised that budgetary constraints should not prevent the Department from developing realistic, phased plans to improve healthcare services. The Committee called on the Department to submit a comprehensive infrastructure implementation plan with clear timelines and strengthen interventions addressing staffing, emergency transport, medication availability and patient access to healthcare.