‘Leadership is key to service delivery’
AS PUBLIC hospitals experience service delivery failures, one thing that could make a positive difference is effective leadership.
Just ask Sagaren Govender, who has devoted a thesis to the subject.
The 51-year-old Chatsworth father of two was one of 505 University of KwaZulu-Natal students to receive their postgraduate qualifications last week. A further 998 received their undergraduate qualifications at the university’s first spring graduation ceremony.
Armed with his doctorate degree, Govender, an office manager at Wentworth Hospital’s Health Technology Unit, told POST his research topic was focused on investigating leadership in relation to service delivery at four regional hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal – RK Khan, King Edward VIII, Prince Mshiyeni Memorial and Greys.
It looked at areas including the lack of skilled professional staff, lack of medicines, drugs, poor infrastructure and long patient queues.
“I focused on identifying the leadership gaps that contributed to poor service delivery and provided guidelines to senior management for improving leadership that will contribute to improving service delivery at regional hospital levels.”
Govender said the current oncology crisis faced by the province was an example.
“The crisis could be averted if the existing oncology machines are repaired immediately. Once they are operational, patients who are referred to Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital can continue their treatment at Addington Hospital which will reduce the workloads at Luthuli hospital.
The health department would also need to enter into a service maintenance agreement with an appointed service provider for a three-year period, to ensure these machines are serviced and repaired timeously.”
Govender added the department would also need to have a contingency plan, as well as fill all critical vacant posts to ensure specialists are available to treat cancer patients.
His findings, he explained, indicated the decline in the delivery of effective and quality healthcare in regional hospitals was directly related to ineffective leadership.
“The study highlighted that a lack of human resource capacity at regional hospitals, particularly critical professional staff and support staff, was a key factor for achieving optimal healthcare at the facilities. It is critical that the KZN Department of Health make adequate funding available in order to unfreeze, advertise and fill all critical professional and key support services posts.
The study also suggested a lack of adequate infrastructural support and malfunctioning medical equipment compounded the service delivery challenges. Buildings are mostly old and unable to accommodate the increasing number of patients.
“Critical life support medical equipment is old and outdated, which impacts on the delivery of effective and efficient healthcare. There is an urgent need to ensure that the baseline support with regards to adequate buildings and medical equipment at regional hospitals is provided to assist healthcare workers to execute their roles and responsibilities effectively and efficiently.”
Govender, who is also a long-distance runner, said his research was completed in two years. “My focus now is on publishing articles in international journals as well as presenting at academic conferences.”