Health dept needs a management shake up

20 November 2019

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is deeply concerned about the general state of the Northern Cape Department of Health and is calling on the provincial government to embark on a shake-up of senior management personnel within this department.

Aside from the ongoing chaos experienced on the ground, at hospitals and clinics across the province, relating to a chronic lack of emergency services, health care professionals, equipment and medical supplies and more, there is a growing sense that the department’s top heavy administration block finally seems to have completely lost its grip on its financial and administrative processes and is buckling under the pressure of years’ worth of maladministration and corruption.

Not only did the Health Department commit a cardinal financial sin by submitting a late audit report to the Office of the Auditor General for the 2018/2019 financial year but is has also made no progress in its other areas of qualifications over the past four years.

Even irregular expenditure incurred in 2018/2019 has shot up significantly from R412 million in 2017/2018 to an astronomical R715 million in 2018/2019. Surely, a department that is no stranger to well over a decade’s worth of disclaimers and qualifications, should by now have grasped a clearer understanding of Supply Change Management (SCM) processes?

In a near bankrupt department, this is a crisis that should be treated as such.

The DA genuinely appreciates the fact that Northern Cape Premier, Dr Zamani Saul, together with Health MEC, Mase Manopole, recently embarked on an inter-provincial session with Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde to, amongst other things, learn more about how the DA government turned the health care system around in the Western Cape. It is wonderful that, as governments run by different political parties, we can start putting our multi-party democracy to work by setting aside our differences and seeking to share lessons of best practise.

The DA, however, is concerned that while the political will appears to exist to transform the provincial health care system, there remains a gaping vacuum of the skills and expertise in the Northern Cape, required to achieve this feat.

It is wishful thinking that the very same managers, who put this critical department into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), can resuscitate it and attain a state of clean governance and quality health care services.

We are not saying everyone must be fired, but we are saying that we need people with relevant qualifications and experience, as well as with a notable track records in health management, in all senior management positions.

Without this, the department will continue to sink. Without this, we will never achieve quality universal access to health care for all.

Issued by Andrew Louw, DA Northern Cape Provincial Leader, 20 November 2019