MEC of Free State Health Dr Benny Malakoane's address to the media on the state of affairs of the Free State Department of Health
Ladies and gentlemen
Representatives from various media houses
Introduction
The Free State Department of Health has decided to convene this session today with the members of the fourth estate (the media) both print and electronic for two most critically important reasons, firstly, we view you ladies and gentlemen as partners in our quest to deliver quality health care services to our people. You reach out were we are not able to make a presence and you are also an important link between government and the masses of our people. The criticism you raise of government especially if genuine and constructive makes us improve on our work and respond accordingly to the genuine concerns people raise through you.
The second most important reason, is that we are now at the most important historic moment in our country-the penultimate of the mandate of the fourth democratic government of the people which they overwhelmingly endorsed during the National and Provincial democratic elections of 2009. We therefore owe it to our people to communicate with our people the advances and challenges of their own government.
Thank you all ladies and gentlemen for gracing this occasion and walking together with us in this difficult path and task of creating a better life for all. Allow me therefore to highlight some achievements and strides made during the past eleven months.
Strategic Direction
I took office in March 2013 and has embarked on an intensive process to consult with health care workers at all levels with a sole purpose of ensuring that the injunctions flowing from our vision for A Healthy and Long Life for All is indeed shared and embraced by all. The other important reason for this exercise was to assist me have a first-hand understanding of the challenges facing the department articulated by those involved in the coal face of service delivery.
I have paid unannounced visits in the last eleven months to hospitals and clinics alike and we continue to do so as part of our responsibility to provide leadership and support to our front rank combatants in the value chain of providing health care services. We have been to District, regional hospitals, the two academic hospitals, emergency medical services stations, the Free State Forensic Pathology mortuary in Bloemfontein and the Medical Depot.
I have had the pleasure to engage with staff at all levels of the department and listened to their understanding of the tasks they face every day, challenges experienced and shared in the joys and sorrows of their daily experiences of brining quality health care to the citizens of this province. During these visits I found that these facilities had challenges with maintenance of equipment, management of medicine and consumables, infrastructure deficiencies, telecommunication and connectivity, staff shortages etc.
These visits served to provide me with first-hand knowledge of the quality of service being rendered as well as insight into addressing the challenges. Together with district and institutional management decisions were taken immediately to address the identified gaps. I receive monthly reports on progress made after my visits to each of these institutions and am planning to embark on further visits in the new few months.
I am pleased to mention the business orientated approach the management and I have embarked on and the department now has an enterprise-wide balanced score card fully developed for all programs and its first performance evaluation was in August 2013.
To strengthen financial management and accountability, all financial and human resource delegations were withdrawn on 1 April 2013 and elevated to the District Managers and Chief Executive Officers. All of these managers received and sign for delegations in July 2013.
Ladies and gentlemen, the strategic direction and operational process of the department is governed by the Negotiated Service Delivery Agreement (NSDA), the national Ten Point Plan and the Ministerial Non-negotiables. I would like to give a Status report on the progress made with some of the Priority Programs of the department.
Performance on key priority programs
Infrastructure development: a variety of infrastructure development projects are currently underway at 12 different hospitals which includes Boitumelo regional hospital in Kroonstad, Pelonomi hospital, Trompsburg, Senorita Ntlabathi district hospital in Ladybrand, Dihlabeng hospital in Bethlehem, the Fezi Ngubentombi district hospital in Sasolburg, Elizabeth Ross hospital in QwaQwa, and the new Mangaung district hospital in Bloemfontein.
Six (6) primary health care clinics and three (3) community health centres are also in various stages of completion, these include the Bolata clinic in QwaQwa, the Parys and Amelia community health centres, Memel and Senekal clinics, clinics in Viljoenskroon, Makhalakeng, Schoonkenville and Freedom Square in Bloemfontein.
The roll out of the HIV/AIDS and TB program is firmly on track. From 1 April 2013, 11 804 patients were initiated on the fixed dose regime for ARV, this includes 584 children. To date, 126 901 persons has participated in the HCT (HIV Counselling and Testing) program. We have distributed 10 884 000 condoms used by males and 203 589 female condoms. The Male Medical Circumcision program is progressing well with 8435 males being circumcised.
The provincial TB screening program is currently focussing on high risk groups such as health care workers, diabetic patients, HIV and AIDS infected people, miners and prisoners. We have also intensified TB screening in children under 5 years of age.
The Maternal, Child and Women’s Health program has grown with leaps and bounds and some of its achievement include the establishment of 20 maternity waiting homes in the province, availability of kangaroo mother care at all hospitals, the establishment of breast milk banks at Mofumahadi Manapo Mopeli and Bongani regional hospitals amongst others.
Another key priority program is Primary Health Care Re-engineering and to strengthen this program and three streams are implemented: school health services, family health and ward based teams. For the current financial year we have increased the ward based outreach teams from 42 to 70 and on an incremental basis it will be increased eventually to 325.
Some of the achievements of the integrated school health program includes the allocation of three mobile units meant for eye care services, oral health and primary health care to the Thabo Mofutsanyana district. The school health program focuses on quintile 1 and 2 schools and there are 929 schools falling in this category with 114 814 learners involved.
I have received a number of questions from media houses that questions the availability of health and medical personnel. Human resources are one of our greatest assets and we have appointed and strengthen the district specialists teams, are monitoring RWOPS (Remunerative Work outside the Public Sector) in all institutions in the Free State and can state that HR issues such as the appointment of critical categories of health staff, disciplinary procedures, human resource development and the strengthening of the nursing schools and College of Emergency Care are receiving attention.
Ladies and gentlemen, there are many other achievements this department has had in the last eleven months. In the next few months I aim to officially open the Senorita Ntlabathi district hospital in Ladybrand, the new EMS call centre in Bethlehem and the Viljoenskroon clinic. We will implement a new organisational structure and celebrate World TB day on 24 March 2014.
Challenges facing the department includes amongst others
A Backlog of primary health care clinics either to be replaced (45), refurbished (20), upgrade (85) or maintenance to be done (41).This is in all five districts in the Free State.
Managing and funding all the priorities of the department within a dwindling budget. Budgetary constraints is a very real issue and in September last year I called all managers together where we took some cross cutting decisions which amongst others include remedial activities to curb expenditure. We have consolidated shared services, implemented Zero Based budgeting and recently I outlined my intention to meet with all the various programs of the department to reprioritise the budget so that we stay within the allocated amount.
Enquiries:
Mondli Mvambi, Acting Spokesperson Department of Health
Cell: 078 027 4332
