In efforts to pass muster from authorities, and obtain certificates of compliance before the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI), government hospitals are apparently “borrowing” medical equipment and documents from other facilities for inspections, reports the Sunday Times.
This week the Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) told Parliament that this “window dressing” is becoming increasingly common, with OHSC CEO Dr Simphiwe Mndaweni describing the practise as “unethical, impermissible and contrary to norms and standards regulations”.
Oversight under strain
The OHSC, which is mandated by the National Health Act to inspect and certify both public and private health establishments, told the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health that it is hobbled by severe staff shortages and limited funding, crippling its ability to execute its mandate.
During its briefing on the 2024/25 annual performance report, Mndaweni said the resource crisis has weakened inspection coverage, a critical concern given the OHSC’s pivotal role in certifying facilities before NHI accreditation.
Partial inspections and missed targets
Parliament heard that the OHSC failed to inspect all health establishments as required by law, conducting checks on only a portion of public and private facilities. Despite spending 106% of its allocated budget, the OHSC still missed its target under Programme 2, the compliance inspectorate.
The annual target plan for inspection of health establishments was 3 741 and the OHSC managed only 3 116.
Mndaweni said some planned inspections could not be completed due to various challenges. Some private health facilities were found to be non-acute, no longer operational, or had changed names and registration details.
Inspection statistics
During the 2024/25 financial year, the OHSC undertook 715 routine inspections at public health establishments. The Eastern Cape recorded the highest number of inspections (170), while the Free State had the lowest (21).
Thirteen private health establishments were not inspected, two had shut down, one was not fully functional as an acute facility, one used multiple names, and nine were classified as non-acute establishments.
Achievements and governance
Despite these operational challenges, Mndaweni said the OHSC had achieved 308 re-inspections and conducted several risk-based inspections.
Treatment Action Campaign Gauteng chairperson Monwabisi Mbasa said the borrowing of equipment and documents needs to be condemned.
“It is fraud …and taking away from patients. Hospitals have to refer patients to other hospitals because they don’t have equipment. It is wrong for them to pretend they have all the equipment just to get a compliance certificate,” he said.
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