The Select Committee on Social Services has decried the unreasonably long process it takes to make appointments, procure equipment and service health facilities in the Free State Province. This according to the committee leads to poor service delivery.

The committee has over the past two days been visiting healthcare facilities to assess the implementation of interventions as proposed by the National Council of Provinces during the Taking Parliament to the People programme in 2017. The committee expressed its disappointment in the long process to appoint a maintenance officer at clinic level as the department of health needed approval from the Provincial Treasury first.

This arduous process has a direct link to the poor service delivery people are subjected to on the ground. For example, the NCOP recommended that operational managers at clinics be appointed within a reasonable time. “We were informed that the Mangaung Metro District is doing badly in terms of appointing these managers” said Ms Cathy Dlamini, the Chairperson of the Committee.

The maintenance of infrastructure is also a matter of concern with many facilities registering fears about slow or non-existent maintenance programmes. The committee has urged the department to put in measures in place to rectify this anomaly because the maintenance of infrastructure will extend the lifespan of much needed equipment.

The support offered at district level to clinics and hospitals must also be improved to create an environment conducive for effective service delivery in line with the Batho Pele principles.

The Committee has picked up a worrying trend where the department appoint people in an acting capacity for positions for a longer period than prescribed by regulations. The Committee has urged the Human Resources section of the department to put measures in place to stop this worrying trend.

Despite this, the Committee acknowledge some of the improvements as a results of the intervention by the NCOP. These include the construction of waste storage rooms in identified clinics, appointment of operational managers at some clinics, installation of alarms in some clinics as well as the procurement of medical equipment. The Committee has called for the implementation of all recommendations.