Home News Call for NC Health dept to be placed under administration

Call for NC Health dept to be placed under administration

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The DA has called for the Northern Cape Department of Health to be placed under administration as it believes that the department has become dysfunctional and financially unstable.

DA provincial leader Harold McGluwa and provincial spokesperson on Health Dr Isak Fritz. Picture: Sandi Kwon Hoo

THE DA has called for the Northern Cape Department of Health to be placed under administration as it believes that the department has become dysfunctional and financially unstable.

DA provincial spokesperson on health Dr Isak Fritz said they would approach the national Department of Health should the legislature portfolio committee fail to place the department under administration.

“We will submit our own letter to the national Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, asking him to take this department under its wing, while there is still something left to save from this dysfunctional and increasingly deadly department,” said Fritz.

He stated that the department owed R590 million on the previous year’s debt while its bank overdraft was at R100 million.

“The cash-strapped department continues to appoint middlemen. The debt-laden department underspent R78.4 million due to a combination of factors, including administrative delays in moving patients to the new mental hospital. State patients are still being housed in prison despite this being a gross human rights violation.”

He added that minors had to be admitted to the adult section of the R2 billion Kimberley Mental Hospital, as the child and adolescent ward was not in operation yet.

Fritz indicated that the department failed to spend money earmarked for the procurement of emergency vehicles while there were only 75 ambulances in operation and 73 were awaiting repairs.

“Cancer patients can’t get from Springbok to Kimberley for treatment. At the last known date, 28 patient transporters were operational and the other 28 were broken. There are only six out of a fleet of 31 mortuary vehicles that are in a good condition.”

Fritz stated that there was a backlog of 5,000 wheelchairs, while the state of clinics was “continually deteriorating”.

“Claims against the department stand at R1.8 billion while medico-legal cases account for R1.6 billion, indicating an ongoing increase in adverse events taking place in health facilities.

“Cumulative irregular expenditure now stands at R8.6 billion.”

He added that there was a severe shortage of medication and medical personnel including doctors and nurses at hospitals and clinics across the Province.

“Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley can, on a good day, only make use of four out of nine theatres because of a lack of nursing staff. The community health centre in Warrenton closes its emergency unit after 4pm due to staff shortages.

“Staff shortages are not because health professionals don’t want to work in the Northern Cape but due to the delayed recruitment processes.”

Fritz said ventilators procured during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic were locked up in storerooms because of a lack of specialised skills in the districts.

DA provincial leader Harold McGluwa indicated that 70 percent of the population is reliant on state health care and “entitled to quality services”.

“The DA has consistently called on the premier to appoint a permanent head of department to address instability at the department and take accountability for tenders, fraud and corruption.

“Premier Dr Zamani Saul’s stay at the health desk was short-lived, as the health of this department continues to deteriorate. The department is completely overwhelmed and on the verge of collapse.”

He called on the premier to replace MECs who are not executing their functions.

“We are also waiting upon the premier to update us on the outcome of complaints including expenditure on the procurement of personal protective equipment that was reported to the Public Protector and the Special Investigations Unit. The DA laid over 1,000 complaints with the Public Protector, where only between 50-100 matters were dealt with.”

Northern Cape Department of Health spokesperson Lebogang Majaha stated that the auditor-general, the Northern Cape Public Service Commissioner and other key statutory bodies were pleased with the significant improvement in the provision of health services by the provincial Department of Health.

“Significant progress has been registered towards addressing the accruals, irregular expenditure and adherence to 30 days payments to suppliers,” said Majaha.

“The department has managed to expand connectivity to 123 of 159 primary health care facilities within the Province. This main focus includes rural areas in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District.”

He added that the department had managed to reduce its contingent liability of R1.8 million at the beginning of the 2021/22 financial year to less than R1 billion by December 2021.

“However, this figure has now grown to about R1.4 billion as a result of new cases being brought. This steady but assured progress results from a concerted effort to mitigate medico-legal risks.”

Majaha stated that an additional 45 ambulances were added to the existing fleet of between 80-90 ambulances.

“As a department, we have kept to the promise as we were to reinforce the existing fleet by a further 20 ambulances and 10 35-seater buses at the end of the third quarter of the 2021/22 financial year.

“Furthermore, the department will procure another 54 vehicles including ambulances and two more patient transporters in this financial year.”

He added that “teething challenges” were still being experienced by the department.

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