Vote 16 national Department of Health by the MEC for Eastern Cape Department of
Health, Mrs N Jajula
8 June 2006
Honourable Chairperson of the NCOP
Honourable Members of the House
Honourable Minister for Health
The Eastern Cape Department of Health is committed to provide and ensuring
accessible comprehensive integrated services in the Eastern Cape Province
emphasising the primary health care approach, utilising and developing all
resources to enable all its present and future generations to enjoy health and
quality of life.
The focus of my presentation to the honourable members will highlight the
commitment, the vision and the projects that form the backbone of the
departmentâs turnaround strategy and plans going forward.
In 2006/07 financial year, the total budget allocation which includes the
Conditional Grants is R6, 892 billion. For several years now, the Eastern Cape
Department of Health has been and still is a recipient of conditional grant
funding over and above the Equitable Share budget.
The Conditional Grants budget allocation for 2006/07 is as follows:
Grant: 2006/07(Râ000)
Comprehensive HIV/AIDS: 218,021
Health Professional Training & Development: 127,566
Hospital Revitalisation: 105,318
National Tertiary Services: 374,203
Forensic Pathological Services: 79,994
Total: 905,102
The grants are aimed at the fulfilment, implementation and the realisation
of specific policy objectives the department seeks to accomplish. With
reference to the Conditional grant funding I shall now dwell on the areas that
will demonstrate the impact the grants have on our plans to revitalize the
health services in the Eastern Cape.
HIV AND AIDS Comprehensive Management Programme
The Department will continue this year to build on and strengthen the
Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Treatment, Care and Management Programme. R218
million has been allocated from the conditional grant:
* 50 new sites providing the Anti Retroviral Programme will be accredited
this year.
* R29,8 million has been set aside to employ staff to manage the
Programme.
* 27 000 clients are to access the Anti Retroviral Programme this year.
* 38 awareness campaigns are to take place in all the districts in order to
de-stigmatise the illness. Further to this we have a comprehensive Prevention
Communications Disclosure and Anti-Stigmatisation Programme targeting women and
other implementation at Cacadu, Chris Hani and OR Tambo District
Municipalities.
Health Professionals Training and Development
With regards to the Health Professionals Training and Development:
* The department is targeting to train, develop 426 nurses to be absorbed into
the employ of the department through this grant.
* Walter Sisulu University has been allocated R14 million to manage our health
training programme through a Service Level Agreement between the department and
Walter Sisulu University.
* 11 students are to be trained in Medical Orthotic and Prosthetic Training in
Tanzania and Pretoria.
* 300 students who have completed their learnerships have been absorbed into
the departmentâs permanent employment 285 of those are enrolled nursing
assistants.
* 200 interns have been appointed for the first time this year on a 12 month
programme funded to the tune of R13,000,000
* 193 students are recipients of bursaries for this year with 110 of them
studying towards medicine.
I am of the view that we need to ponder on various strategies and
innovations to recruit and retain health professionals through dedicated
funding and stop relying on conditional grants. The Recruitment and Retention
Strategy planned by the National Department will assist the department to
recruit and retain health professionals which are in dire need.
Revitalisation of hospitals
For this current financial year the department is currently implementing the
following projects under the Revitalisation Grant:
* Five hospitals are under construction namely Mary Theresa, St Lucyâs, St
Patrickâs, Rietvlei and Frontier.
* Four hospitals are to be provided with appropriate modern and essential
health equipment.
* Quality Assurance programmes aimed at enhancing quality patient care have
been initiated in six hospitals.
* Building of a new Health Resources Centre at Lusikisiki.
National Tertiary Services Grant
The National Tertiary Service Grant is aimed at improving effectiveness and
access to secondary and Tertiary services through rationalisation of the three
hospital complexes: Mthatha, East London and Port Elizabeth. This impact on the
following:
* The rationalisation of clinic domains and services to optimise service
delivery and address space constraints in each complex with a budget of R48
million.
* Supporting Human Resources section in the recruitment of specialists with
scarce skills.
* All responsible managers to undergo Public Finance Management Act and
Treasury Regulations orientation.
Forensic Pathological Services
The department is also managing the Forensic Pathology Services Grant of R79
million aimed at inter alia addressing the inequitable access to clinical
forensic services to communities. Targets for this year include:
* 15 Medico Legal mortuaries and 40 holding facilities to be transferred from
the South African Police Services to the Departmentâs Forensic Pathology
Services.
* One Clinical Forensic Medical Service Centre is to be established in each
district.
Special Projects to Improve Health Service
The Eastern Cape Department of Health has introduced and consolidated under
one banner a number of flagships projects that are aimed at re-engineering,
improving not only the health services but also the quality of health care. The
21 projects are driven through a process that is called "Ivili Lenguqu" which
is the broader framework and turn around strategy for the Department and
includes the following.
* Saving Mothers, Saving Babies Project aimed at reducing the maternal and
infant mortality rates within the Province is already underway in 20 district
hospitals.
* 25 Clinics have been identified as part of the clinics as centres of
Excellence Project aimed at improving conditions of service delivery at clinic
level.
* Turn around of Emergency Medical Services includes the acquisition of 48
Emergency vehicles fitted with tracing devices, 14 Planned Patient Transport
vehicles, and 14 Rescue vehicles. All these vehicles are to be equipped with
world class equipment in preparation for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
* This project is funded to the tune of R200 million for this year.
The department has embarked on an aggressive facelift campaign in line with the
Letsema Programme aimed at restoring the publicâs confidence in our
institutions whilst at the same time boosting moral amongst our staff. The
targeted hospitals include Dora Nginza, Cofimvaba and Cecilia Makiwane.
Whilst on Cecilia Makiwane I need to take this opportunity to appraise the
House on the following: Cecilia Makiwane Hospital will receive a total facelift
starting this financial year. Portable generators are now in place and
uninterrupted Power Supply Installation will be completed on Friday the 9 June
2006.
Honourable Members coming back to the infrastructure programme as a
whole;
* Six new clinics are to be built; and 25 are to be upgraded including two
Community Health Centres at a cost of R132,000,000 million.
* There are 33 projects under the Letsema programme and together with the
maintenance of hospital facilities, mechanical and medical equipment at a sum
of R107 000 000 is budgeted for this year.
* An audit has been done through District Managers to determine the needs of
hospitals with regards to linen, drugs, security and a planned improved system
of supply is being finalised to manage this effectively and efficiently.
Conclusion
Honourable Members, the task at hand has challenges and seems enormous but
it is not beyond the ability and the commitment of the department to follow
through and provide the quality of service required by all our people. It is in
this vein that I need to first extend my profound gratitude to the Honourable
Minister for her continued support and guidance, her commitment and leadership
to the cause of the department is exemplary; the support of the Honourable
Members will see us realise our mandate to render a qualitative health service
for the people of the Eastern Cape Province. As a department we believe that
you are our eyes and ears with such a skill no challenge is insurmountable.
To the Great Health workers and Professionals who are tirelessly sacrificing
to serve the rural poor people of our province we salute you.
I thank you
Issued by: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
8 June 2006
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecprov.gov.za)
