Patients at Zebediela Hospital in Limpopo are being given a poor diet while nutritious food lies idle in the storerooms "gathering dust".

Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba went on a surprise visit to the facility near Lebowakgomo yesterday and found that management of the hospital was letting patients down.

While visiting the female psychiatric ward, Ramathuba met a patient who told her she was being forced to eat spicy fish and pap despite complaining of oral sores.

In the hospital kitchen Ramathuba found that there was no sign of any other food besides cans of fish and bags of mealie meal while staff claimed there was nothing else.

It then became apparent that patients were being fed canned fish and pap every day.

Ramathuba demanded to know why patients were not getting a balanced diet. "Those people are sick. You can't give people who are sick something that you who is well and healthy cannot eat," she said.

Ramathuba gave staff members a stern warning before she left.

"If you are failing to change, maybe I can speak to the MEC of agriculture so that you can be redeployed to work with cows since you cannot work with people," she said.

In the storerooms, Ramathuba found shelves packed with rice, boxes of milk and different types of breakfast cereals.

One storeroom was also packed with clean linen, toilet paper and detergents despite claims by staff that there were no supplies. "There are toilet papers here and clean linen. Did we buy them so that they can accumulate dust in the stalls?"

Upon entering the hospital earlier Ramathuba took a female radiographer to task.

"I want to know why you are not dressed like a radiographer. Where is your name tag?"

Ramathuba said there was lack of planning and supervision at the hospital and the problems could be fixed in less than a month.

The department will dispatch a special team of doctors with expertise in hospital management today.

mahopoz@sowetan.co.za