The MEC for Health, together with the Head of Department (HoD); Drs Sibongiseni Dhlomo, Sibongile Zungu respectively, invite the media to a press briefing to be held on 28 October 2010.
The press briefing will be held ahead of the MEC’s presentation of a Six Months Service Delivery Report to the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature on various programmes in the department and the state of the department moving forward.
The report will cover a number of programmatic issues that have been implemented since the beginning of the current financial year. The key programmes that have been at the forefront of the department delivery and on which the MEC will address include, but not limited to the following:
(i) The financial turnaround strategy: unveiled in August last year seeks to curb over expenditure in the department that had been around R2 billion in the financial years 2007/08 and 2008/09. A number of measures were put in place including cutting the “frills” and identifying and rooting out fraud and corruption. Key decisions and interventions have been made in this area and progress will be provided in such areas as infrastructure development, tighter financial controls.
(ii) Fighting Fraud and Corruption: the MEC will detail the department’s effort to eradicate fraud and corruption. He will present progress thus far as well as successes that have been made in this regard.
(iii) Stability in the department: a report on stability in the department and ability to meet certain goals will also be provided. This area will cover such areas as filling of critical posts, recent resignations and dismissals, the effect of the public servants strike and the plans moving forward.
(iv) Implementation of clinical programmes: the MEC announced intensification of certain programmes where the department’s outcomes were not as desired.
These include maternal and newborn services, Phila Ma, Medical Male Circumcision, HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT), the TB programme as well as the make Me Look Like A Hospital Project.
The media will have an opportunity to interact with the MEC, HoD and CFO on these and other programmes of the department in an open manner. One on One interaction will also be allowed.
You are therefore invited to the press briefing to be held as follows:
Date: 28 October 2010 (Thursday)
Time: 12h45 – 13h45
Venue: KZN Legislature, ANC Caucus Room, Langalibalele Street, Pietermaritzburg
For further information and confirmations, please contact:
Chris Maxon
Cell: 083 447 2869
