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The Portfolio Committee on Health concluded its week long oversight by conducting a meeting with the MEC of KwaZulu-Natal’s Department of Health Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo.

The committee has been on a weeklong oversight, visiting National Health Insurance pilot sites, hospitals and clinics in UMgungundlovu district and Durban. The visit was part of the committee’s work in conducting oversight over the executive and government departments.

The Acting Chairperson of the committee Mr Fish Mahlalela said: “We come to KwaZulu-Natal when the first phase of NHI has been completed and we are entering the second phase. During the oversight the committee has focused on primary health care services, we believe primary healthcare is the pillar of NHI”.

He added that there has been an outcry that the health system is collapsing, the outcry was raised by the media. The committee has done certain things to ascertain the veracity of the comments and to see if public health establishments are working. In June this year, the committee invited the Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) to provide its own analysis. OHSC presented the findings of its 2016/17 Annual Inspection Report of public health sector establishments to the committee. The report showed that there is some improvement in certain areas; stagnation and decline in other areas.

During the walkabout in the clinics and hospitals the committee noted that what makes the system not maximally function is human resources both clinical and administration. The committee was of the view that what makes the health system work depends on human capability to function effectively.

Mr Mahlasela said: “In our engagement with staff we have been told that there is a moratorium put in place on staffing on general support service the committee has been informed posts that are filled are critical clinical posts. But the clinical are limited as there are clinics and hospitals  where there are no enrolled nurses and pharmacy assistants”.

Infrastructure is a problem at Mgugundlovu, “when we came as the committee we thought we would see miracles but we saw the opposite especially at the clinics and some hospitals and it’s a matter that is worrying as some hospitals and clinics are not at our expected standard, we are concerned about the infrastructure”, said Mr Mahlalela.

Government has a policy of insourcing but during this oversight what the committee found was that services such as laundry, catering, cleaning and security are all outsourced at the health facilities. In all the facilities that the committee visited these services are outsourced with the exception of Appelsbosch Hospital where there are insourcing services.

The issue of laundry services is a problem as the province is providing a centralised system. At Mgugundlovu the committee was informed that hospitals do not get their linen back on quantity that they had sent it and at times hospitals receive the wrong stock.

The committee expressed a concern on the lack of implementation of strategies in dealing and curbing the high rate of teenage pregnancies which is found to have a ripple effect in the infection of HIV/Aids.

At Cator Manor Clinic the committee was informed that the clinic is under the joint management of the province and municipality, members of the committee said the matter requires political intervention and guidance as it creates problems.

The shortage of vehicles for outreach is another problem, at Edendale Hospital the committee was informed that community outreach is not done as vehicles are old and limited.

When the oversight started the committee commenced its visit at Mpumuza Clinic. The committee learned that Mgungundlovu has a problem of space in its facilities especially in the clinics and some hospitals. Some clinics are not at the size which is required which leaves patients crammed and exposed to extreme weather conditions. The committee was of the view that Mpumuza needs a new clinic as the situation is not viable. This includes Cramond clinic, the clinic is best run but patients and health workers are crammed. The committee said the nurses are doing extraordinary well but the environment is not good for them.

At Addington hospital, the committee commended the intervention that has been made following the release of the report by the Human Rights Commission (HRC) on the issue of Oncology. The committee was told that since the release of the report by the HRC, Addington Hospital has since hired an Oncologist. However, the committee said the oncology unit at Addington should not be attached to Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central hospital. “We must appreciate the intervention that you have made at Addington Hospital we are pleased with the interventions that have been made. We are better than when HRC published its report.

On mental health one of the weaknesses identified by the committee was that work is done at provincial level without the involvement of the hospitals themselves.

Responding to the observations and comments made, the MEC Dr Dhlomo said: “We welcome the visit as it assists us in identifying some of the areas that we might overlook as the province”.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.