Hospital projects facing a crisis

25-06-2012
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Daily Dispatch
Source

WORK on revitalisation projects at government hospitals across the Eastern Cape are being threatened, with some already grinding to a halt amid a funding crisis.

The cash crunch in the department of health has reached such epic proportions the provincial authority is unable to plan for future developments. The situation is so dire the Eastern Cape department is even struggling to fix broken air-conditioners in operating theatres placing millions of lives at risk. Funding for hospital revitalisation projects are being threatened by the budget cuts.

The department’s acting head of infrastructure, Mlamli Tuswa, said this week: “Revitalisation projects are at risk. There’s just no money.” This comes as the department faces a R22-billion infrastructure and maintenance backlog that is also crippling service delivery. The figure has reportedly ballooned over the past five years and the decline continues with the widespread neglect of already aging and failing public healthcare centres.

In the last six months the figure has increased by R3-billion leaving the department struggling to maintain its 1200 facilities across the province. Listing the hospitals severely affected by the cash crisis, Tuswa named:

•Frontier Hospital in Queenstown; •Dr Malizo Mpehle Memorial Hospital in Tsolo; •St Elizabeth Hospital in Lusikisiki; •Cecilia Makiwane Hospital (CMH) in East London; and •Madwaleni Hospital in Elliotdale.

Tuswa made these revelations during a meeting with a parliamentary task team at the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha this week. He said many priority projects – some dating back to 2004 – have already been halted due to budget cuts. This year the cash-strapped department received R15.1-billion for the 2012-2013 fiscal, which amounts to a R424-million cut from the revised 2011-2012 budget. Bhisho, in a bid to head off a national intervention, stripped the health department of its supply chain and human resources management responsibilities on Thursday.

The provincial treasury will now manage the supply of services, materials and equipment, while the office of the premier would manage staff. During the Mthatha meeting, Tuswa said the department will not be able to undertake any new projects for the next three years. Tuswa said CMH was short of R107-million saying the department was already behind on the project.

Another example he said was the paediatrics unit at Frontier Hospital which needs up to R70-million but only R9-million is available. “We are not sure if we will continue with other projects or take the money to finish others. If we stall some interest will cost us.” If the CMH project was halted it will cost the department R90000 a day, he said.

The task team, led by MPs Dr Bevan Goqwana and Mshiyeni Sogoni, is in the province to monitor progress ahead of the countrywide National Heath Insurance roll out and the Hospital Revitalisation Programme.

The department also revealed to the task team the R1.1-billion infrastructure budget only allowed R200- million for general maintenance. “The current infrastructure budget of the department cannot plan for and provide new facilities or to adequately maintain existing facilities,” said Tuswa. He said hospitals were forced to wait till machines broke down completely before fixing them.

“We just cannot maintain them. That is a situation we are facing. Poor infrastructure like roads, water and electricity comes to be part of this,” he said. Asking for a funding rollover, Tuswa said a national health department intervention was crucial. However, this did not go well with the task team who called it a mere “begging proposal”. Goqwana, also the health committee portfolio chairman, told Tuswa they were in the province for an oversight visit. “You do not have to propose to us the rollovers, we are just an oversight team,” he said.

MP Leonard Ramatlakane, who was part of the delegation, said it looked like the department needed to be rescued through section 100 intervention. “If you are asking for help in parliament you want to go under administration, you want a section 100 rescue system,” said Ramatlakane. Goqwana added a dedicated rural funding system was urgently needed in the province.

“Rural health is important and maybe dedicated funding for rural health is crucial, we just cannot forget the rural people,” he said.