The dire state of a road in the Port St John’s area poses a serious threat to the health of patients seeking treatment at a local hospital‚ the Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape asserted on Sunday. Vicky Knoetze‚ the DA’s shadow MEC for roads and public works in the province‚ said the provincial portfolio committee on health had recently carried out an oversight on Isilimela Hospital‚ which serves a catchment area of approximately 100‚000 people.According to Knoetze‚ the hospital is only accessible after travelling 17 kilometres on a gravel road “that is in a deplorable state”.“It took the committee members close to an hour to travel to the hospital‚” she said.“The road further has an adverse effect on emergency medical services (EMS) accessing the hospital‚ as the ambulance for this area is a normal ambulance and is not equipped with 4 X 4 capability as is needed especially in the rural areas.“We were told that the condition of this road and the time it took to travel to the hospital has had a direct detrimental effect on the condition of patients who travel 17 kilometres in order to receive medical care‚ especially in the case of pregnant woman‚ children and babies.“Hospital staff noted that many fatalities and aggravation of serious injuries could have been avoided if this road had not been an obstacle in community members’ pursuit of much needed medical attention‚” Knoetze added.She called on the MEC for Roads and Public Works to expedite the upgrade and resurfacing of the road to Isilimela Hospital “as a matter of urgency”.She pointed out that the premier had stated in his state of the province address‚ on 20 February that: “With respect to rural roads infrastructure delivery‚ we are going to spend over R 1.3 billion on construction‚ maintenance and repairs to a number of our roads‚ including … the road to Isilimela Hospital…”The MEC for Finance had further stated in the Budget Speech that roads leading to hospitals would be prioritised.“In a free and fair society‚ community members’ freedom to access basic healthcare is not compromised by the dire state of roads. The MEC must prioritize this issue‚” Knoetze stated...