Health dept unable to pay suppliers
THE MEC for Health, Lebogang Motlhaping, yesterday admitted during his budget speech that critical health shortages were crippling service delivery.
He explained that the Northern Cape Department of Health was unable to pay suppliers on time.
“It impedes the service delivery. Scarce resource constraints are negatively impacting on service delivery. These are in addition to the mischief of gremlins gouging at public resources, not barring the unattractive global economic circumstances.”
Motlhaping stated that he was awaiting the report of the antifraud and corruption task team, which was established by his predecessor Mac Jack to investigate irregular, unauthorised and wasteful expenditure, in due course.
The department has been allocated R4 billion for 2016/17, 0.7 percent less than the previous financial period.
Motlhaping pointed out that the Northern Cape only received a 25 percent allocation from the provincial budget, compared to the 29 percent of the national average.
“Our budget is the lowest as a proportion of the provincial allocation of the equitable share, yet we compete in the same pool with the rest of the country for skills and expertise to meet the expectations.”
Motlhaping added that the escalating prices of basic commodities such as rent, accommodation, food, cleaning materials and fuel had a ripple effect on costs and expenditure.
He pointed out that inflation had increased pharmaceutical expenses, including multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) and the treatment of non-communicable diseases.
He stated that once the new streamlined organisational structure had been approved by the executive, critical vacancies would be filled as a matter of urgency.
Motlhaping said that salaries constituted a huge chunk of the budget (54.2 percent), where salary increases were expected to rise by 6.2 percent in 2016/17.
He made another benchmark commitment to complete the new mental hospital this year.
Completion
“The completion and resolution of the albatross on our provincial government is now in sight. We are determined to conclude the building saga that is the mental health hospital. The facility may reach practical completion by the end of 2016. There are lessons that all of us must draw from this experience.”
Motlhaping advocated that health facilities make use of allocated funds to ensure cleanliness to combat the debilitating threat of superbugs.
He explained that the increasing number of substance abuse and mental disorder injuries needed to be treated at primary care level, in order to be efficient and cost effective, although further research was needed.
He indicated that 17 million condoms would be distributed in the fight against HIV/Aids infection, while R2 million would go towards medical male circumcision.
He noted the high rate of teenage pregnancy and raised concern over the high HIV/Aids infection rate amongst youths between the ages of 15 and 24 years.
Motlhaping stated that they were in the process of introducing uniform archive records at the National Health Insurance (NHI) pilot project in the Pixley ka Seme district. “(Also) an appointment system for patients to deal with long waiting times in queues.”
Motlhaping acknowledged the demand to replace the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) fleet, outstripped their capacity to do so.
“Many of these vehicles, including ambulances that were received in the last financial year, are obsolete or were damaged after being involved in accidents. We will continue to procure new ambulances and emergency vehicles within the context of our purse.”
He stated that West End Hospital aimed to improve on the 30-days forensic observation and assessment to speed up criminal cases.
“We are also preparing the facility to be suitable and adequate for the transfer of state patients from correctional centres. The facility has benefitted from the renovations of our institutions with a ward renovated to accommodate 36 involuntary mental health patients.”
He indicated that the West End Mental Health and TB Hospital would be converted to provide treatment to patients closer to the community.
Motlhaping added that five trained instructors on Basic Life Support had been accredited by the resuscitation council of South Africa.
He said that the upper respiratory infection unit was now fully functional. “Mechanical ventilation has been installed which will assist in circumventing the spread of TB and resistant micro-organisms.”
Motlhaping added that two Cuban specialists were appointed to alleviate the shortage of forensic medical personnel.
“We still need to focus on the mortuaries infrastructure across the Province. We will be sorting out the lingering issue of management and leadership of the programme in due course.”