Honourable speaker of the Free State legislature
Honourable Deputy Speaker
Honourable premier
Members of the legislature
Leaders of political parties
Leadership of our system of local government
The leadership of all our governance structures: provincial and district health councils, hospital boards and clinic committees
Our partners
The Acting head of department and officials of the department
Distinguished guests
People of Sasolburg and the Free State
Traditional leaders and traditional healers
Comrades
Ladies and gentlemen
Honourable Speaker, on 11February 1990, 20 years ago, Nelson Mandela left Victor Verster prison and walked free after 27 years of imprisonment. Mandela taught and lived by example that there is no amount of force that can stand on the way of the will of the people.
He taught us to be selfless when we discharge our responsibilities to better the lives of our people. In his words he said during the famous Rivonia trial: "I have cherished the ideal of a free and democratic society in which all persons lived together in harmony and equal opportunities. It is an ideal for which I hope to live for and to achieve, but if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die"
We owe it to this great leader of our people and many others of his generation, the living and the departed to immerse and re-dedicate ourselves in the cause of ensuring that our country and province is a better place to live in. We owe it to him to make sure that our country is and becomes better in all spheres than when we took over in 1994. We thank you Madiba for giving us your life!
Honourable Speaker, our past was painful yet our future is bright. I say this because after the historic democratic breakthrough of 1994, we inherited a system of health that was sustained through years of the promulgation of racist legislation and creation of multiple racially based health systems.
The net result has been a system which is highly fragmented, biased towards curative care and the private sector, inefficient and inequitable, and only favoring a certain minority in society.
Speaker, we are re-stating this history conscious of the fact that there are some in our society today who feel that we must forget this painful past lest we are perpetually trapped in the past. History is important because we are the sum of all the events; good, bad, and indifferent that has happened to us. This sum product guides our actions in the present.
We know for certain that the future of our people is bright because we have a plan to change the many years of sufferings they had to endure.
We are only 79 days before the 2010 FIFA World Cup extravaganza. Once more, the capacity of our facilities to handle major disasters (should any happen) will be put to test. Of particular importance is the need to improve our capacity to handle trauma incidents and disasters handling capacity and acute medical emergencies at our hospitals especially those that are in the arterial roads.
The experience obtained during the 2009 Confederations Cup has put us in a better position to perfect our systems and facilities. The recent inspection by the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Molefi Sefularo has once more confirmed that we are ready to deliver on our commitments to ensure availability of a comprehensive response on a 24 hour basis for the duration of the tournament. Our ability extends beyond the soccer tournament.
To this extent, an additional 60 ambulances will be procured, 200 additional emergency medical personnel appointed and equipment to the value of R18 million will be delivered and placed at hospitals along the N1, N3, and N8 before this tournament begins in June 2010. We will maintain balance between catering for the soccer world cup as well as our day to day Emergency Services rendering obligation.
The deputy minister also commended us for our readiness including affirmation of our capacity to deal with the communicable diseases such as the current outbreak of the Rift Valley fever. The outbreak is absolutely under control with the involvement of our sister Department, Agriculture and the affected farmers; there is no reason to panic.
Africa ke nako! Woza June 11 2010!
Speaker, as we stand before this house to present this budget vote as an account of our work in the period under review, we are compelled to also recognise that recently we lost one of the great daughters of our movement, Fatima Meer. She was a revolutionary till the end, a mother, a wife and a friend to many. We dare not forsake or betray her legacy moving forward!
Our people have a right to obtain optimal health. For this to happen, we will pursue our commitment to the promotion of health using the primary healthcare approach as the underlying philosophy for restructuring the health system.
The latter is underpinned by full community participation in planning, provision, control and monitoring of services. Our governance structures present here today is a reflection of this yearning.
This budget vote is also tabled two days after the 50th commemoration of 21 March 1960 Sharpeville massacre which represents naked aggression and gross human rights violation by the repulsive and brutal apartheid forces.
Honourable Speaker, the recent global and local economic challenges we have experienced have impacted negatively on the health sector as a whole by inter-alia increasing costs of medicines and consumables and other operations. These factors and the increase of the burden of diseases continue to put a further strain on our limited resources.
Although overwhelmed by the challenges some of which we have mentioned above, it is worth appraising the house that as a result of the ground breaking summit we hosted in July 2009, notable progress has been registered in our work.
The turnaround strategy we developed soon thereafter has borne fruits and already, 1 329 number of vacant critical health professional and support posts were filled. The supply of antiretroviral treatment (ARV) in all our accredited facilities has since stabilised, we have introduced measures in our medical depot to ensure availability of medication in all our facilities i.e. hospitals and clinics. Thirty new ambulances were bought in our efforts to renew our ageing fleet.
Motsamaisi wa dipuisano, re le Lefapha la Bophelo bo Botle boemong ba naha re na le moralo wa mokgwa oo ditshebeletso tsa bophelo bo botle ka hara naha di tlamehang ho tsamaiswa ka teng.
Moralo ona o tsejwa ka hore ke ten point plan mme o itshetlehile leanong la mokgatlo o etelletseng pele puso wa African National Congress. Ka hara moralo ona ho na le ka ho ikgethang dipehelo tse sa tlamehang ho qojwa; kapuo e kadinngweng di tsejwa kahore ke di "non-negotiables", e leng tse latelang:
- Bohlweki ditliliniking le dipetleleng tsa setjhaba (cleanliness)
- Tshireletso ya bakudi, baeti mmoho le basebeletsi ba setjhaba ho kennyeletswa le polokeho ya thepa dibakeng tsa kokelo. (safety and security)
- Kgutsufatso ya nako kemelong ya ho fumantshwa ditshebeletso kapa meleng. (waiting periods at quees)
- Boitshwaro ba basebeletsi ba lefapha thlokomelong ya bakudi (staff attitude)
- Phumaneho ya meriana le disebediswa ka nako tsohle (constant availability of medicines and consumables)
Ke le Letona la Bophelo bo Botle mmoho le batsamaisi ba ka sehlohong lefapheng, re se re ile ra etela ditlilininiki le dibaka tse kang: MUCPP, Pelonomi le national hospital re sa laetsa.
Re ile ra kgotsofatswa le ho kgothatswa ke ho bona diphetoho tse etsahetseng kamora ketelo tsena. Le ha hole jwalo, sena ha se bolele hore ha hosana sebaka sa dintlafatso le diphetoho. Re tla tswella pele ka lenaneo lena la ho lekola ditliliniki le dipetlele tsohle ka hara profensi hobane re sa tlameha ho kgatha tema e kgolo!
Tse ding tsa diphihlello tsa selemo se kodumelang sa ditjhelete sa 2009 di kenyelletsa:
- Seboka seo re ileng ra se tshwara mabapi le tekolobotjha ya maano a twantsho ya TB. (the Tuberculosis (TB) Review Indaba)
- Ho kenya tshebetsong ka katleho letsholo la MopremirI le Executive Council ya Foreisetata eleng Operation Hlasela: Hlasela bofuma le bofutsana kahara profensi:
- mona re ka qolla khiro kapa phumantsho ya mesebetsi ho ba bangba baithaupi le ditho tsa setjhaba
- ntlafatso le katoloso ya tseding tsa meaho le disebediswa tsa bophelo bo bothe
- The Nursing Assembly; moo re neng re tsoselletsa tjantjello, boitelo, lelerato la booki jwaloka profeshene hara besebeletsi ba lefapha
- Achievements on job creation as a result of in-sourcing e.g. Bongani, Pelonomi and national hospitals
- During 2009, the Occupational Safety Dispensation (OSD) for one of our key categories in terms of the department's workforce the medical doctors were processed. The department spent R 111 366 018.80. Other critical categories such as specialists, dentists, pharmacists and emergency medical services (EMS) have also benefitted from this dispensation.
Focus on women, youth and disabilities
One of the most daunting tasks of the present government is to ensure that we continue to affirm the central role women should play in a democracy. As the then late President of Mozambique, Comrade Samora Machel once said: "The emancipation of women is not an act of charity, the result of a humanitarian or compassionate attitude. The liberation of women is a fundamental necessity for the revolution, the guarantee of its continuity and the pre-condition for its victory. The main objective of the revolution is to destroy the system of exploitation and build a new society which releases the potentialities of human beings".
In agreeing with this assertion, we will have to go beyond the usual programmes we have in the department and conceptulise targeted development and empowerment programmes for women.
Maternal, child, and women health is one of our deliberate programmes towards women emancipation. The reduction of maternal, infant and under five years mortality rates through the "Saving Mothers and Children" programme which consists of targeted reproductive health interventions is one of our key deliverables for the next five years.
In the same breath, we will fail in our tasks if we do not give recognition to the role youth played in our liberation struggle and possibility that they can do more for our democracy.
We must change the societal stereotypes against young people. Young people are not a problem but a resource to the nation. My department will find ways in the budget we are tabling to give the role of youth a practical meaning.
Again, we have set ourselves the goal of ensuring that we expedite the extension of free health services to people with disabilities. The department has started engaging in earnest with the disability sector to jointly assess the impact of our health programmes on this sector.
Tribute to the dedicated staff members of the department
Speaker, the doctors, nurses and all other allied health professions are a valued and critical force in our efforts to provide quality and compassionate health services.
Despite the challenges we faced in the past year these men and women have distinguished themselves as true compatriots, ready to serve the people of the Free State. To them we are indeed grateful. I say this conscious of the fact that there are instances whereby some of our professionals lack compassion when dealing with our people.
In this financial year, we will pursue our efforts in ensuring that all our professionals abide by the Batho Pele principles and the spirit and letter of the Patient Rights Charter.
Those who continue to display bad attitude towards patients must know that they are at the wrong place in the Department of Health. We will leave no stone unturned in following up on any other case that involve any of our professionals ill-treating patients.
Where there's concrete evidence of wrong conduct we will act without any favor whatsoever. In addition we will make sure that all our professionals do wear uniform and name tags so that they can be easily identified.
We also wish to extend the call to all other health professionals, support personnel and workers to also abide by the Batho Pele principles when discharging our work responsibilities. From July this year we will start to implement the Recognition of Excellence programme for all our personnel who distinguish themselves in the line of duty.
Honourable Speaker, our budget for 2010/11 is R6,151 billion, which represents 11,6 percent increase from the previous year. I am particularly thankful to my colleagues in the cabinet for their support and understanding regarding budget allocation for our department. By this, we are indeed living up to the manifesto of the African National Congress that Health is and must be a priority. This budget is therefore allocated to the following programmes:
Programme one: Administration
The budget for this programme is R234,650 million
In order to strengthen the department's ability to deliver quality health services to the people of the Free State, we need to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our administration. Hencehuman resources constitute one of our valued assets as a people orientated department.
In the period under review, we have made 681 permanent appointments, 12 sessional, 60 temporary positions, 457 contract postsmaking the total appointments 1 329.
At the same time we have also lost a significant number of staff due to deaths, resignations, contract expiring, transfers, ill health, dismissals and retirement bringing the total numbers of staff lost to 1 056. We have thus filled 273 posts more than the attrition posts. This means we had a positive staff turnover rate.
Programme tw District Health Services
Honorable Speaker, a total amount of R2,341 975 billion has been allocated for this programme. This programme is key in our quest to increase access to healthcare for increased live expectancy. By June 2010, we will give delegations to the district managers and hospital chief executive officers.
Part of what we also seek to address under this programme, is the availability of medication and medical consumables as well as provision of accessible primary healthcare services.
It is pleasing to note that the primary healthcare packages provided in the 98 mobiles, 212 clinics, 10 community health centers in line with the referral system saw a number of 4 118 824 patients beingwere seen and treatment in our facilities.
At the community health centres there has been 477 822 patients that were seen and treated as of 1 April 2008 to 31 December 2009. Also worth noting is that the 24 district hospitals provided the district hospital packages and 93 150 patients were admitted.
In line with one of our ten point plan which is "providing strategic leadership and creation of social compact for better health outcomes", we will in the 2010/11 financial year ensure functional governance structures at all facilities and levels.
Speaker, in compliance with the millennium development goals four, five and six, we will strengthen "National 18 Priority District" project in Thabo Mofutsanyane at Maloti-a-Phofung. In addition, we will also ensure the delivery of effective and efficient health services with a specific focus on reducing maternal, infant and child mortality.
Rural health
Rural health is one of our greatest challenges. In this regard we will strengthen our efforts in providing rural health by procuring a minimum of 15 mobile clinics to the tune of R4,5 million in this financial year as replacements. Each district will be allocated at least three new mobiles. This will remain one of our key focus areas in the next five years to support by end of June 2010.
The recruitment and retention of professionals to rural areas remains a major challenge especially in areas where we are unable to provide accommodation. From April 2010 we will focus our recruitment drive to address the needs in the rural areas particularly Thabo Mofutsanyana, Xhariep and Lejweleputswa.
Provision of forensic services is also a challenge in these rural areas. To this extent, we have recently established a functional holding facility at Thebe Hospital to address the challenges around Phumelela municipal jurisdiction.
Honourable Speaker, given the current trends, the health related millennium development goals will not be met by 2015. The Free State is among the three provinces with the highest maternal, infant, and under five mortality rates in the country. It also has the third highest HIV prevalence in the country behind KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
The major causes for this are the increasing burden of disease, personnel shortages, health system failures and inadequate funding growth. It is therefore important to form this social compact with communities, other departments, and partners to ensure that this health system is overhauled for better outcomes.
In the new financial year, the Health Department will contribute to increased life expectancy by placing more emphasis on the following programmes:
HIV and AIDS: Kwatsi ya bosolla hlapi
Kwatsi ya bosolla hlapi e na le kabelo e kgolo tahlehelong ya maphelo le ho mafu a fapaneng setjhabeng sa rona. Ke kahoo ditshebeletso tsa bophelo tsa mantlha di lokelang ho akaretsa ditshebeletso tse mabapi le kwatsi ya bosolla tlhapi.
Ditliliniki tsa rona ka hara profensi di tla matlafatsa kabo kapa nehelano ya ditshebeletso tsa HIV e le karolo ya ho kenngwa tshebotsong ditshebeletso tsa bophelo tsa mantlha ka kakaretso.
Ho toboketsa bohlokwa ba ho itshireletsa kgahlano le tshwaetso, re tla sebedisana mmoho le Lefapha la Dipapadi, Bonno, Setso le Boithapollo maanong a reretsweng ho fetisa molaetsa on setjhabeng.
Ho ya ka diphatlalatso tse entsweng ke mopresidente wa naha ka letsatsi la matjhaba la kwatsi ya bosolla hlapi selemong se fetileng, bana bohle ba ka tlasa selemo ho sa natswe maemo a bona a masole a mmele (CD4 count), ba tlameha ho fuwa kalafo tlasa lenaneo la phumantsho kapa nehelano ya di-ARVs.
Professional nurses will now be trained and enabled to prescribe ARVs and repeat treatment for uncomplicated patients. The services of doctors will also be provided to attend to patients that need special treatment.
Doctors will also provide mentoring to the nurses for continued support and quality of services. This will enable us to reach many more patients at a faster rate than before in line with our government's strategy to improve access to treatment.
Thibelo ya phetisetso ya kokwana ho tswa ho mme ho ya leseeng (prevention of mother to child transmission)
Motsamaisi wa dipuisano, mehato e latelang e metjha mabapi le thibelo ya phetisetso ya kokwana hotswa ho mme ho ya leseeng e tla kenngwa hang hang tshebetsong maqalong a selemo se setjha sa ditjelete (2010/11 financial year):
- Bana bohle ba bileng le kgahlamelo ya kokwanahloko ya kwatsi ya bosolla hlapi ba ka tlasa selemo, batla etswa diteko mme ba fumanwang ba na le tshwaetso, ba tla akaretswa lenaneong la ho fumantshwa di-ARVs ho sa natswe maemo a masole a bona a mmele (CD4 count).
- Baimana bohle bao masole a bona a mmele a lekanang le kapa a leng katlase ho 350, ba tla fumantshswa kalafo (Antiretroviral Therapy).
- Baimana bohle ba nang le tshwaetso mmoho le masea a bona ba tla fumantshwa kalafo.
- Tsena tsohle e le ho netafatsa hore baimana bohle mmoho le masea a bona ba fihlellwa, ekasita le ho netefatsa hore baimana bohle ba etswa diteko e le karolo ya ditshebeletso tsa bophelo pele ho pelehi.
Re ka boela ra ikotla sefuba kehona ho phatlalatsa hore baimana bohle ba iponahatsang dibakeng tsa rona ho thoha ka kgwedi ya Mmesa ba na le tshwaetso, ba tla fuwa kalafo. Sena re tlo se etsa ho netefatsa hore ho tloha ka Tshitwe selemong sena (2010), Freistata e hlahisa moloko o motjha wa masea a sa angwang le ho tshwaetswa ke kwatsi ya bosolla hlapi.
Ditshebeletso tsa ho thojwa ha maikutlo le diteko tsa ho tseba maemo a tshwaetso (HIV counselling and testing)
In line with the Presidential announcement on World AIDS Day 2009, the number of HIV counselling and testing (HVT)sites will be increased. The HCT launch nationally will occur at Ekurhuleni Gauteng on 15April 2010 whilst the provincial Launch will occur at Pelonomi hospital (Motheo district), on 19 April 2010.
Nationally, the target of 15 million people has been put whilst for the Free State target is 963 087 and it is to be fulfilled by June 2011.
Ho tloha ka kgwedi ya Mmesa 2010, matsholo a akaretsang bongata ba setjhaba a tla kengwa tshebetsong malebana le diteko tsa ho lekola boemo ba tshwaetso ba motho ka mong ka hara profensi ya Foreisetata.
Sepheo ka matsholo ana a rerilweng ke ho kgothalletsa baahi bohle ho tseba maemo a bona e le hore ba tsebe ho nka diqeto tse nepahetseng; ho itshereletsa haeba ba ena le tshwaetso, ekasitane le ho itshireletsa kgahlano le tshwaetso botjha haeba ba se ba na le kokwanahloko; kapa ho kena lenaneng la kalafo ha ba fihlella dipehelo.
Motsamaisi wa dipuisano, ke nka sebaka sena ke hona ho etsa kgoeletsi ho baahi bohle ba Foreisetata ho nka karolo ntle le ho qeaqea matsholong ana a rerilweng ke mmuso.
Re le diitho tsohle tsa Komiti ya Lekgotla ya Phethahatso tlasa boetapela ba Moprimiri Mohlomphehi Ace Magashule, re se re kgathile tema nttleng ena ka letsatsi la matjhaba la kwatsi ya bosolla hlapi ka la 1 Tshitwe 2009, mane motse Thabong, lebaleng la dipapadi la Zuka Baloyi, moo re ileng ra etsa diteko phatlalatsa mabapi le ho tseba maemo a rona a tshwaetso. Ke rata honka motsotso ona ho leboha le ditho tsa setjhaba tse ileng tsa nka karolo mosebetsing ona.
Pele ya pele setjhaba sa Rantsho!
We have adopted an approach of "provider initiated treatment" (PIT). This means that even when patients come to our facilities but do not request a test, our health workers will always remind them about this imperative in a bid to encourage them to know their status.
In addition "couple counselling" and testing will also be promoted as part of providing family care. These initiatives will require a collaborative effort by government, business, and civil society.
Motsamaisi wa dipuisano, re motlotlo re le lefapha ho tsebisa hore ka la 26 Hlakubele 2010 ho lane la Harrismith, mmileng o moholo wa N3, re tla thakgola letsholo la tlhokomediso ho bakganni ba dintorontoro (trucks) mabapi le ditshebeletso tseo re fanang ka tsona ho tsa kwatsi ya bosolla hlapi le diphephetso tseo ba nang le tsona tsa maphelo ka kakaretso.
Letsholo lena le tlo etswa ka kopanelo le puso, mafapha a mmuso, kgwebo, baqolotsi ba ditaba le mekgatlo eo eseng ya mmuso. Ka bokgutshwane, ditshebeletso tse latelang di tla fumaneha ho tswa lehlakoreng la lefapha:
- screening of blood pressure
- diabetes screening
- HIV counselling and testing
- Anaemia screening (teko ya madi)
- malaria, TB, eye, hearing tests
- nutritional information
- physio and occupational therapy
- provision of condoms to both male and female clients
Equally, it is important to note that structures such as Provincial Council on AIDS (PCA), district AIDS councils and local AIDS councils are important drivers in facilitation and coordination of the above mentioned and other efforts. We must therefore at all times do what we can to support them, since:together we can do more!
Tuberculosis
We are all aware that TB and HIV infection often go hand in hand hence the president has declared that our services will be geared towards prioritising testing, prophylaxis and ARVs provision to those concerned. We will ensure that every patient who has TB, is tested for HIV and that every patient who is HIV positive will be tested for TB.
Bakudi bohle ba nang le tshwaetso ya kokwana mmoho le tshwaetso ya lefuba bao masole a bona a mmele aleng 350 kapa ka tlase; ba lokela ho fumana kalafo ya di-ARV. Bakudi bohle ba lefuba ba nang le bothatha (complications) ho amohela kalafi, ba lokela ho fumana di-ARV ho sa natswe boemo ba bona ba masole a mmele (CD4 cell count).
Efforts are also being made to introduce community based care for multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB patients. This will be a ground breaking move in the management of TB patients. 1 000 healthcare workers will be trained to support these initiatives and improve the DOT support programme.
Maternal mortality
Reduction of maternal deaths will be achieved among others by:
- Strengthening reproductive health services including termination of pregnancy, antenatal care and postnatal care. To achieve the latter, we will ensure that women receive post natal care.
- Establishment of a fully accredited Caesarean Section unit per district. These units will offer 24 hours maternity services and will therefore have dedicated maternity sisters, medical officers, equipment, blood supply and emergency medical services vehicles.
- Health professionals will be trained on the essential steps in the management of obstetric emergencies (ESMOE).
- Re rata ho toboketsa hore ha se tlameho kapa qobello hore baimana kaofela ba pepiswe ka mokgwa ona wa caesarean hobane ha ho sena bohlokwa bo jwalo, mokgwa o tlwaelehileng wa ho pepa o ntse o tjhaellwa monwana. Ena ke thuto eo re ikemiseditseng ho e emela ka maoto molemong wa ntshetsopele (empowernment) ya setjhaba sa rona ka tlhaisoleseding.
Disability and rehabilitation services
Speaker, the importance of services to improve access to assistive devices (wheel chairs, walking aids etc.) and orthotic and prosthetic devices for people with disabilities to ensure their independence and self reliance cannot be emphasised enough!
We have worked in collaboration with the Departments of Social Development and Education to appropriately distribute 500 wheelchairs donated by the Airport Company of South Africa (ACSA) in the past. This calendar year, at least one outreach programme will resume so that rural areas are serviced more effectively and we aim to provide services to at least 10 100 patients who need these services.
Immunisations
Diseases other than HIV, AIDS and TB that contribute to our high under five mortality and morbidity will receive special attention in the new financial year.
Two new vaccines are being administered to our children to protect them against diarrhoeal diseases and respiratory infections (pneumococcal conjugate and rotavirus). Our target is 90 percent coverage. This will cost R57 million rand, and will go a long way in reducing the less than five mortality and morbidity.
Matsholo a akaretsang a kentelo ya bana ba dikgwedi tse robong (nine months) ho isa dilemong tse leshome le metso e mehlano (15 years) kgahlano le maselese (measles), polio, thibelo ya manyoha (de-worming), le kabo ya vitamin A a tla thakgolwa hanghang maqalong a selemo se setjha sa ditjhelete diterekeng tsohle tsa profensi.
Health services at schools
Extending our interventions further, we will work in collaboration with the Department of Education to implement provision of health services in schools. In this regard, three schools in Thabo Mofutsanyana will already have dedicated school nurses as a starting point. As this is a provincial programme, 8 100 learners are being targeted and majority of them will be from rural areas.
H1N1
Influenza prevention campaigns will be conducted for vulnerable groups (frontline health workers, children under 15 years who are HIV positive, pregnant women, patients suffering from chronic lung and heart disease etc. These campaigns will run towards the end of July 2010.
Partnerships
Non-profit organisations (NPOs) and local governance structures are key partners to the delivery of Health services within a primary healthcare approach.
The Free State Health Department therefore engages a wide range of partners, including community structures to strengthen its hand at offering effective primary care to the communities.
The 2010/11 financial year will see the establishment of 8 additional strategic partnerships with community based organisations (CBOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to extend access to primary healthcare services. The department will assign funding and training and sign agreements with these organisations by July 2010. This will bring the total number to 56.
Programme three: Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
This programme receives an allocation of R 338 103 million
Our emergency medical services will be strengthened with 200 new personnel being appointed and 60 new ambulances to strengthen the fleet. In addition we will in this financial year finalise a leasing agreement to compliment our fleet so that we are close to the national norm of one ambulance per 10 000 population.
It is expected that when this agreement is concluded we will add another 100 within the medium term strategic framework (MTEF) period to reach the national norm ( include t he number of disposed vehicles).
The Department of Health is painfully aware that our response times are not optimal and are not in line with national norms of 15 minutes in the urban and 45 minutes in the rural areas. The department will accelerate the implementation of a decentralised model for emergency medical services by end July 2010.
The key feature of this model is the dedicated fleet of emergency medical services for deployment within a district. Once this model has been implemented, Fezile Dabi vehicles will for an example attend to only Fezile Dabi calls, and will not leave the district to transport patients to Bloemfontein and other areas. This will increase access to these services as well as improve the response times.
During our participation in Operation Hlasela and other departmental community outreach programmes, we listened to communities who are in dire need of ambulances. We are therefore pleased to inform the house that, the following areas from different districts were supplied with new ambulances to facilitate access to health services and they amongst others include: Steynsrus, Orangeville, Cornelia, Kestell,Wepener, Botshabelo, Hennenman, Bothaville, Namahali (Qwa Qwa), Intabazwe, Harrismith, Bethulie, Jacobsdal, Bultfontein.
We are currently in the process of appointing personnel to support this process. Jaggersfontein was also allocated a new vehicle and staff. These ambulances are outside for viewing. By May 2010, this fleet will be at the designated areas as the Department would have finalised the appointment of staff attached to it.
Drug availability
Speaker, in our efforts to ensure that the Medical Depot as a trading entity is run more effectively and efficiently we will as a matter of urgency appoint a new chief executive officer; we are determined to ensure that the improved levels of drug availability at all facilities are maintained.
These major improvements will be supported by the assistance of service hubs at district level and the appointment of additional staff. There has been a significant improvement in terms of availability of medication in all our facilities. We started at a low of 40 percent and to date we are standing at 80 percent of medication availability in our facilities.
Programme four: Regional Hospital Services
This programme is allocated R 1,493 510 billion. Priority in this programme is to provide specialised services in all the five districts. Here the focus will be put on outreach and telemedicine programmes in order to ensure accessibility of these services to all the communities of the Free State. We will also undertake review of the procurement of medical equipment in all regional hospitals including the psychiatric complex.
Programme five: Central Hospital Services
Our tertiary hospitals have been allocated R1 036 711 billion. This allocation will provide assistance to relieve the growing needs that have yet to be matched by available resources.
The strengthening of our tertiary hospitals for provision of service packages commensurate with the referral needs of district and regional hospitals is receiving attention and this shall be completed by the beginning of the financial year.
The modernisation of tertiary services project will continue with the intention to support level1 and level 2 facilities throughout the province. The outreach and telemedicine services will be strengthened to support primary healthcare services.
Programme six: Health Science Training
A budget of R 139 591 million is allocated to this programme to address the professional training needs of the department. This shall be allocated and distributed to provide nursing training, bursary allocations and mid-level worker capacity development programmes.
The various training programmes for the nursing sub-categories have begun at the nursing colleges that we have already opened as stated before. This shall continue in a phased-in manner in the remaining nursing colleges still to be opened.
Honourable Speaker, we are also proud and pleased to announce that on 1 April 2010 we will officially witness the re-opening of the nursing school in Thaba-Nchu consistent with our government's effort to increase personnel where it is needed most.
Programme seven: Healthcare Support Services
This programme is allocated R 90 605 million to make provision to fund the critical laundry staff shortages amongst others, the orthotic and prosthetic service delivery needs to enhance locomotion for those afflicted by the curative outcomes that led to such requirements.
Programme eight: Health Facilities Management
Honourable speaker, we will expand infrastructure to provide the goods and services denied to the masses of our people by those who had ruled our country as our racist masters. In this regard we will continue to improve access to the healthcare facilities to the Free State Community. Already the following facilities are completed:
- Boitumelo Hospital Maternity Section and
- Diamant (Jagersfontein) Hospital
Speaker, this programme for 2010/11 financial year is allocated R 508 426 000 million.
To improve access and provide health facilities that are functionaland fit for usage to provide healthcare we, will continue with the revitalisation of Boitumelo and Pelonomi hospitals, start the construction of Ladybrand and Trompsburg hospitals, finalise the planning and commencing with phase one of the Free State Psychiatric Hospital and Mangaung district and Dihlabeng hospitals.
To provide adequate and appropriate healthcare, the department will complete Elizabeth Ross, Thebe and Tokollo hospitals by July 2010. We will also improve access to primary healthcare by commencing with the building of new clinics at Bolata, Rouxville, and Dinaane (Thaba Nchu).
Speaker, allow me to assure the communities of Heilbron and Phahameng in Bultfontein that the infrastructure projects in their towns will soon be completed. Thet Relebohile clinic, construction project will be fast tracked whilst the building of the Bultfontein clinic will be completed by June 2010.
At this point I want to take this opportunity to express my deepest and sincere gratitude to the premier, my colleagues in the Executive Council and the chairperson of Health Portfolio Committee, Honouranle Mnumzana for their unwavering support and guidance on my work.
I must also mention my family for their tolerance and understanding of the nature of my work, my office staff for their hard work and support as well as the acting head of department and the entire departmental personnel.
As I conclude, let me borrow from the Chinese proverb and say that: "other man said it cannot be done but others said it can be done"
I agree fully with the latter and thus call on all of us to action. Together we can achieve a better health for a healthy and self reliant Free State.
Honourable Speaker, I hereby table the budget of the Department of Health for the financial year 2010/11.
Thank you.
Source: Department of Health, Free State Provincial Government
