Proper management of hospitals required

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, Jack Bloom recently announced that in light of the health budget, hospitals need proper management.

According to Bloom, the Gauteng health budget has grown enormously, from R9.2 billion in 2005, to R21 billion in 2010, and now R34.175 billion.

“It has more than tripled in ten years, and could be adequate to provide a reasonable health system, but it is spent inefficiently and ineffectively,” he said.

However, Bloom said, this will only be rectified with proper management and a computerised health information system that gives accurate costs.

“Last year’s budget failed to spend R495 million, a large amount that could have made a material difference. In the key area of capital spending the department cannot spend what it gets, and has voluntarily asked National Treasury only for that which it has properly planned for,” he said.

He also added that, “This is why the Hospital Revitalisation Grant has gone down from R671 million last year to R313 million this year.

“The Health Facility and Management budget has also gone down from R1.8 billion to R1.45 billion. This means that we are missing out on about R600 million in capital spending because the department does not have the capacity to spend it,” Bloom said.

Earlier this year, Gauteng health sector has received criticism from the public.

Patients at Helen Joseph Hospital and Charlotte Maxeke have been battling to receive their medicines and either go without or have to buy from a private pharmacy.

“Sick people are vulnerable people, and they deserve better from this department,” said Bloom.

Bloom also said an investigation is needed in Emergency Management Services, which failed to spend R166 million of its budget last year, but there are shortages of ambulances and constant breakdowns.