Gauteng Premier David Makhura has announced a high-level intervention team to co-ordinate a recovery plan for ailing Gauteng Health, reports The Times. Makhuru said that in recent days‚ it had emerged that there were critical inadequacies in the capacities and capabilities‚ and competencies to run the provincial health system‚ which had clearly been exposed by the Life Esidimeni tragedy.
In the aftermath of the tragedy former MEC for Health Dr Gwen Ramokgopa had been recalled from retirement. But, the report says, even with her experience it was clear that she could not turn around the whole department on her own. “She needs a high-quality management team to turn the fortunes of the department around. It is for this reason today that we are today announcing an intervention team‚” Makhura said.
He added that apart from being not only the biggest health system in South Africa but on the continent‚ the provincial health system was also a very complex one to run as it also offered a huge training platform for health professionals‚ working with three universities in the province.
“It therefore requires a competent‚ efficient‚ effective and dedicated management to lead the 68‚000-working workforce that are servicing 27 million patient visits per annum.”
The report says the team announced by Makhura includes Professor Mkhululi Lukhele‚ a professor of orthopaedics at Wits University and former head of the Wits School of Clinical Medicine; Professor Craig Househam‚ a retired professor of paediatrics and child health and former head of department in the Western Cape Health. Dr Edith Mntla‚ a senior lecturer at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University; and Nomvula Marawa‚ a former national health department director who is currently a member of the Health Ministerial National Health Insurance Restructuring Committee.
The team will need top-level political support to clear the rot. The Times reports that that’s according to the Democratic Alliance’s Gauteng spokesperson on health, Jack Bloom who welcomed the announcement but said it “should have happened far sooner as the department has been deeply dysfunctional for many years”. He said a number of "turn-around plans" had been announced for the department in the past and they had all failed‚ including a two-year involvement by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
“Top-level political support will be needed for the new team to succeed as many incompetent deployed cadres should be fired and politically-connected corruption networks destroyed. Massive surgery will be needed to remove all the rot.
“The department has yet to recover from the disastrous period under former Health MEC Brian Hlongwa where massive corruption occurred that has still not come to court after more than seven years of investigation‚” Bloom said.
According to the report, he added that he was pleased at the inclusion of Professor Craig Househam on the intervention team as he could use lessons from the successful Western Cape Health Department which he headed previously. “I am disappointed‚ however‚ that there are no private health professionals on this team which would have been valuable in importing private sector efficiencies.
“I agree with Makhura that both financial and managerial problems need to be tackled in the department and I wish the team well in their sorely-needed task.”
[link url="https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2017-11-26-high-level-intervention-team-appointed-to-fix-gauteng-health-department/"]The Times report[/link]
[link url="https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2017-11-26-massive-surgery-needed-to-remove-the-rot-in-gauteng-health-department/"]The Times report[/link]