The Gauteng MEC for Health and Social Development, Ntombi Mekgwe, will tomorrow table the annual report on the Auditor General’s findings concerning the department’s finances.
The report will display the significant turnaround in the audit opinion of the department in the year under review. The department has received a qualified audit on three items namely revenue and receivables, tangible assets, employee benefits.
The department has in the past two financial years received a disclaimer on eight critical issues, which are tangible assets, leave management, revenue, and receivables, housing loan guarantees, irregular expenditure, commitments, accruals, compensation of employees and lease commitments.
The Medical Supply Depot has received an unqualified audit after receiving a disclaimer last year.
Significant improvement was made in antenatal visits and women are gradually becoming aware of the importance of these visits in the early stages of the pregnancy. In the year under review, the proportion of antenatal visits before 20 weeks of pregnancy increased from 27.3% to 30.7%.
Through the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) programme and nurse-initiated management of antiretroviral treatment, more than 1.2 million people took the test in 2010. The number of on Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) increased from 274 927 in 2009/ 10 to 415 461 in the year under review. The number of sites offering ART increased from 77 to 245 over the same period.
The department has made good progress with reducing the transmission rate of HIV from mother to child (PMTCT). In the past, the mother to child transmission rate of HIV was as high as 11-14%, but analysis in some Gauteng facilities show that we are approaching our target of reducing this to less than 5%.
The vacancy rate for professional nurses, doctors, and pharmacists continue to be a challenge. The department has prioritized the filling of all vacant posts for health professionals. The department has increased the production of nurses over the last five years. During 2010/11 the total intake of nursing students increased to 1 958, slightly exceeding the target.
By the end of 2010, all 35 community health centres had resident doctors and 248 out of 347 fixed clinics were supported by a doctor at least once a week.
In January 2011, the department placed 192 community service doctors, 112 of them in the district health services and the rest mainly in regional hospitals.
Significant achievements in social development infrastructure included the completion of several facilities (ECD centres, day care centres for the aged, and an outpatient rehabilitation centre for substance abuse) at Mamelodi, Refilwe, Soshanguve, Garankuwa, Munsieville, Kagiso, Etwatwa, Tsakane, Duduza, and KwaThema. Minor “snag list” tasks were the only outstanding work on additional facilities at Tembisa, Daveyton, and Katlehong. Two residential homes for old people were under construction. The Mohlakeng home was 70% complete, while the Tembisa facility was 30 % complete.
A total of 100 000 children were provided with school uniform packs during the year. These children come from schools in the poorest areas and they are receiving child support grants and/or are orphaned and vulnerable.
During the tabling, the MEC will outline an action plan that was developed as well as measures undertaken by the Department to achieve a qualified audit.
Details of the tabling are as follows:
Date: Friday, 23 September 2011
Time: 10h00
Venue: Gauteng Legislature, Cnr President and Loveday streets, Johannesburg CBD
Enquiries:
Simon Zwane
082 551 9892
MEC Mekgwe tables 2010-2011 Annual Report
Province
