Ailing health system needs intensive care
REBUILDING the public health sector in Limpopo after it was placed under administration in 2011 is a long process, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said.
Health was one of five provincial departments placed under administration by the cabinet — along with the treasury, education, roads and transport, and public works — due to maladministration and poor financial management.
Limpopo regained responsibility for the functions in February last year.
‘‘Don’t think the effects of that have already gone,” said Motsoaledi. ‘‘It’s like there was a war there and now the war is over and we have started the reconstruction.”
He said Limpopo’s healthcare system faced serious challenges in terms of personnel, equipment and infrastructure.
‘‘I think it’s just madness that junior doctors are doing brain surgery. It’s quite ridiculous.”
Motsoaledi said the chief procurement officer would be in charge of sourcing medical equipment.
‘‘Now it’s all about correcting the damage that was done . . . we don’t want to go back and clean up the damage, we want to do it correctly from the beginning.”
Limpopo health MEC Phophi Ramathuba acknowledged the problems.
“We are not folding our arms,” she said. “We have put up a technical team. We have taken the money away from the hospitals that are not buying equipment and centralised it.”
She said hospital management needed to be held accountable.
“The mortality rate is not due to lack of hospital equipment, but because of the attitude of doctors and nurses. We have proof.”
She said she needed R450million to fill critical posts in the province, but it would be impossible to get that money from the National Treasury.
Ramathuba said issues that needed to be addressed included leadership, financial stability and supply chain management.
“Limpopo has trained so many doctors who have gone on to become specialists but who are now refusing to come and work in their province. All we want is for them to serve three years and help train new specialists.”