The Democratic Alliance said it is pleased that Gauteng Premier David Makhura “has endorsed oversight visits by public representatives to hospitals‚ but problems of access hinder this activity”. Jack Bloom‚ the DA’s shadow MEC for health‚ had raised the issue after security guards barred him and fellow member of the Gauteng Legislature Neil Campbell from the new Natalspruit Hospital on April 2.At the time‚ Bloom said that that he and Campbell were “told…very rudely that we could not enter” without an appointment and a man identifying himself as Dan Molefe told Campbell to “go to hell”.According to a statement released by Bloom on Tuesday‚ Makhura said “he did not approve of public representatives being harassed when they do oversight work‚ but security guards at hospitals did have to be alert to unauthorised visitors”.Bloom added that Makhura also said that “individual oversight visits should be subject to a protocol as not all areas in a facility could be visited for genuine security and operational reasons”.Bloom‚ however‚ believed he has been targeted by the province’s health MEC Qedani Mahlangu‚ who has specifically ordered officials to deny him access “unless her office or the chairperson of the Legislature's Health Committee has approved” it.“I hope that Makhura instructs Mahlangu to ensure that hospital management allows free access for oversight by members of the legislature‚ no matter how embarrassing this might be in uncovering poor conditions that need to be improved‚” Bloom said...