Summary extract of speech by Jack Bloom MPL in debate on the Gauteng Health Annual Report
30 November 2015
Madam Speaker, every year we hear about a “turn-around” in the Gauteng Health Department but the picture remains quite bleak with a few areas of progress.
In the 2014/15 period covered by this Annual Report, only 86 out of 160 targets were met, which is 54%. In the previous year, only 40% of targets were achieved, and the year before it was 53%.
There are six priority areas set by the National Health Department. The highest score obtained in Gauteng is 77% for availability of medicines, which is not good at all, and 76% is achieved for waiting times.
We should be very worried that our hospitals only score 64% on cleanliness. And our hospitals only get 69% for infection prevention and control, which is not surprising if cleanliness is so bad.
70% is achieved for patient safety and 73% on positive and caring attitude.
Our clinics are also generally below standard. Out of a target of 50 facilities, only one met the criteria of an “Ideal Clinic”, which means an overall score above 80 percent.
R157 million was spent last year on settling court actions for medical negligence, and medico-legal claims rose by R3.5 billion from R6.6 billion to R10.1 billion.
The Auditor General’s report is scathing, with findings that include:
- Unauthorised expenditure of R556 million.
- Goods and services above the R500 000 limit were procured without inviting competitive bids.
- An amount of R12.7 million was written off without supporting evidence.
- Staff appointed without following proper channels.
This is all deplorable stuff, and we can only hope that one shiny day this department finally gets a clean audit.
Other failures include the delay in scanning patient records, which is needed to modernise and cut down on waiting times. Instead of 16 hospitals with scanned records, only two were done.
The department claims a world-class standard of 79% of Priority 1 emergency calls responded to within 15 minutes in urban areas, but in my view this is a world class lie. At every public meeting on health issues, people complain about ambulances that take hours to arrive.
We have enrolled more than one million people on anti-retroviral therapy in the last ten years, but only 700 000 are currently still on treatment. It is very worrying that we have lost more than 300 000 people who can no longer be traced.
Another concern is that cervical cancer screening was at 44% against the target of 66%.
The department has made a colossal mistake in cancelling the contract with Life Healthcare Esidimeni for about 2000 psychiatric patients.
The Honourable MEC claims that there are sufficient spaces for these patients within existing hospitals and with NGOs.
I have spoken with many NGOs, and they deny that they have enough spaces, nor do they have the necessary specialist staff.
I also don’t see how the necessary renovation and extra staff in existing state facilities will be available by the end of March next year when all these patients are discharged.
It’s a looming disaster. Does the Honourable MEC really want hundreds of people on the streets or with families who cannot care for them?
Please, please reconsider.
I hope that the next Annual Report has better news to report.
Issued by Jack Bloom, Shadow Minister of Health, DA Gauteng, 30 November 2015
