MBOMBELA – Former heads of the provincial department (HOD) of health got the short end of the stick from opposition parties in legislature last week. This was during a debate on Friday of last week over the curatorship under which the department had been placed.
Health MEC Mr Gillion Mashego also tabled his budget for the 2014/15 year which showed an increase of almost R1 billion from last year’s. All the department’s finances were moved to the authority of finance MEC Mr Eric Kholwane when the department was placed under curatorship in June. But on Friday, Mr Collen Sedibe, EFF provincial party leader said the department needed full administration.
He also criticised the redeployment of the former HOD Dr William Maphanga to acting chief executive officer of Rob Ferreira Hospital. “The health department is in a very serious crisis. Why make Rob Ferreira a dumping zone?”
Lowvelder reported on Friday on the ongoing crises at Rob and Themba hospitals over non-functioning equipment and a lack of water. Mr Victor Windvoël, ANC MPL, said the redeployment was a responsible decision which put the party on the right course to sound management.
Mashego said the premier Mr David Mabuza had approved the move since it was in the public interest for a former HOD to run the hospital. He said the curatorship would ensure that resources were correctly utilised. The MEC also pointed out that two deputy directors-general in the department were suspended in June, pending investigation.
Ms Jane Sithole of the DA said her party had requested intervention as early as 2005, and the situation has since become “disastrous”. “MEC after MEC, HOD after HOD, the health department has clearly been on a downward spiral for over a decade. You don’t need brain surgery to have noticed that.”
The party welcomed the establishment of a forum of hospital CEOs to detect problems early and mitigate them and track deliverables.
She added that the DA had requested another former HOD, Mr Richard Mnisi, who is currently serving as acting HOD in the department of co-operative governance, to appear before the portfolio committee on health to account for the financial mismanagement of the department’s funds.
Sithole added that the province had not paid the Steve Biko Academic Hospital for Mpumalanga patients receiving specialist treatment there since June of last year. “This is going to have dire consequences for this province when the University of Pretoria withdraws from Mpumalanga,” she said. Read more on the budget in the next edition.
