MEC Madoda Sambatha: Coronavirus Covid-19 developments in North West

Statement by MEC Madoda Sambatha on latest public interest COVID-19 cases involving Health Professionals and Police Officers as well as Latest on Administration of the Department

 Ladies and gentlemen of the media, 

I called you here today to address recent developments pertaining to COVID-19 in the Province. 

The Department can confirm that there has been a number of employees who were confirmed COVID-19 positive.  By far we have recorded ten (12) employees who are, which is six (6) from private facilities and six (6) from public services. The first were two health professionals in Dr Kenneth Kaunda District in private facilities. One is a 26 year old male and the other is a 51 year old male.  The two were managed appropriately according to the guidelines including management of primary contacts.  It is great to announce these two ultimately recovered.   

The two Kenneth Kauda cases were followed by a 53 year old male private clinician in Ngaka Modiri Molema District who was also managed in the same manner including contacts and effectively recovered.   

During level 4 lockdown, the Department employees now from the Public Sector.  Three (3) health professionals confirmed positive as follows: 

  1. A 52 year old female Professional Nurse and a 41 year old female nurse from Promosa in Dr Kenneth Kaunda confirmed COVID-19 positive.  The two are isolated in facilities and their contacts are managed appropriately and the facility was decontaminated following occupational and safety guidelines. 
  2. In Bojanala, also registered a 68 year old female professional nurse from a public facility in Moretele.  There are other two professional nurses, one 49 year old male and 31 year old female COVID-19 from Furncrest Hospital in Rustenburg.  The two are isolated in a private facility.   
  1. In the Ngaka Modiri Molema District, we can confirm that indeed one of our doctors at Mahikeng Provincial Hospital has tested positive to COVID-19.  The doctor is a 47 year old male clinician. Line listing of contacts is in progress and management will be done in line with COVID-19 NICD guidelines, DPSA guidelines and occupational health and safety guidelines. The position of the Department is that the doctor in question and other employees in contact used appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs). Continuous decontamination of the affected units is done as per guidelines. It is for these reasons that the unit will not be closed as the risk level is low for contamination following adherence to safety measures. 
  2. Furthermore there are two (2) cases of public interest involving SAPS officers in the Province. One is in Madibeng and the other in Matlosana.  The Madibeng case involves a 47 year old female police officer.  The patient was isolated at JST pending transfer to La Femme Peglerae and is in stable condition.  The case in Matlosana involves a 37 year old female police officer who was deployed to Matlosana.  Contact listing is done and the officer is managed according to relevant guidelines.  The officer is currently isolated in a private facility. 
  3. The MPH doctor has also been at Victoria Hospital where maternity and theatre were affected and 22 staff members, 2 doctors and 21 patients were contacts. He also saw 104 patients at his private surgery. Those wards and his private surgery has been closed and decontaminated. At Mahikeng Provincial Hospital the doctor was in contact with 12 doctors, 29 nurses and 70 patients. 
     

Suspended health officials 

The Department can confirm that four Senior Officials have been suspended over allegations of tender irregularities. 

The first two are directors attached to Infrastructure Development Technical Support Chief Directorate. One Director is responsible for Infrastructure Planning and another a Director responsible for Infrastructure Delivery. They were suspended on the 23 April 2020 because of allegations of irregular payments of Department of Health funds to the service provider arising from bid for additions and alterations to existing Mmabatho Nursing College including all related site works. 

The principal building agreement for construction works at Mmabatho Nursing College commenced on the 02 November 2015. 

It is alleged that the said NWDOH officials within the Infrastructure Development and Technical Support (IDTS) facilitated irregular insertion of the “Contract Price Adjustment Provision”, which resulted in the contractor undue enrichment in payments. The value estimated on this one is amounting to R10 959 472-35, excluding VAT of adjustment/ escalation. This followed a preliminary investigation.  

In the latest matter, on the 8 May 2020, two other senior officials, being the CFO of the Department and the Director responsible for Supply Chain Management, have been suspended due to the allegations of Supply Chain Management irregularities arising from the Security Tender. The appointment letter of the successful bidders allegedly contained the prices which materially varied from what those bidders had bid for thus inflating prices and causing the Department serious financial loss. The value of the financial loss is not yet know as investigations are to start after their suspension.

 The Department wish to state that the suspension of these officials is not a conclusion that they are guilty but it intended to allow the Department to investigate the above allegations as they are of a serious nature. 

Cuban Medical Scholarship 

The North West Department of Health expressed interest to the National Department of Health in sending fifteen (15) students to study medicine in Cuba for this financial year (2019/2020). An advert was placed in the local newspapers with a closing date of 14 June 2019 and a total of eight hundred and thirty five (835) applications were received throughout the Province and the breakdown as follows:

Ngaka Modiri Molema: 247  
Dr KK: 139
Dr RSM: 112
Bojanala:  337 

As the number expressed to National Department of Health was fifteen (15), the panel decided to distribute the number based on the rurality of the District. The number of students that made it through the interview is as follows per District:

Bojanala: 3     
Dr KK: 3     
Dr RSM: 5
Ngaka Modiri Molema:  4 

The only District that submitted the correct medical results on time was Bojanala. 

The National Department of Health informed the province in September 2019 that the Embassy of Cuba stated that they will only allowing four (4) students from North West to study medicine in Cuba as opposed to the fifteen (15) previously agreed on. The main reason was that the Province delayed in submission of the required documents on time to the Embassy and therefore they have awarded another country (Lesotho) the opportunities that were granted to North West. It was clear that 11 students were disadvantaged due to unchecked administrative matters which could have been prevented. 

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