PSC evaluates five hospitals in Gauteng but has no teeth to enforce compliance by Health Department
19 August 2020
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has learnt that the Public Service Commission (PSC) has evaluated five hospitals in Gauteng namely Rahima Moosa Mother and Child hospital; Bheki Mlangeni; Dr George Mukhari; Tembisa and Mamelodi hospitals and has reported on a number of weaknesses, shortcomings and poor health outcomes.
The PSC is a constitutional body and is mandated to promote constitutional values and principles as well as values of good corporate governance throughout the public service.
Some of the matters raised in the report included a shortage of both clinical and non-clinical staff; over-crowding in casualty; high staff turnover and the slow rate of staff replacement due to a lack of funds; too few hospital beds resulting in overcrowding and long waiting times; surgical backlogs and the ill treatment of patients. In addition, the PSC referred to the “abysmal” support from Gauteng’s Infrastructure Development Department in dealing with crumbling infrastructure and lack of maintenance.
However, it is concerning that when the PSC was asked to indicate whether the quality of health services in Gauteng is compliant with our constitutional values and principles, the PSC kicked to touch and declined to answer on the basis that this question was too broad.
The PSC appears happy to just present their report to government, raise the issues and do some follow up from time to time. This allows them to tick the box and walk away satisfied that they have met their responsibility.
Unfortunately, this approach adds no value in applying pressure on government to provide a reasonable level of health care as envisaged in the Constitution. Many of the issues raised by the PSC have been raised on an on-going basis by the Health Portfolio Committee, yet these issues remain unresolved after many years.
Issued by Alan Fuchs, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Infrastructure Development and Property Management, 19 August 2020
