Date: 13/04/2010
Source: the Congress of the People
Title: Cope: Kganare: Speech by Cope Member of Parliament on the Health budget

Honourable Chairperson, Honourable Minister, Honourable Members and Invited Guests,

The occasion of this debate is engulfed by the loss to South Africa of one of the most committed revolutionaries produced by the struggle against apartheid - the late Deputy Minister of Health, Cde Molefi Paul Sefularo. It is with this sense of loss that the Congress of the People is participating in this debate.

Honourable Chairperson, the budget is the vehicle through which the government is supposed to deliver its promises to the people of South Africa. It is the barometer through which the success and failure of government can be measured.

During a similar debate last year, the Congress of the People expressed its unwillingness to support the 2009/10 budget of the department while raising several issues which I don't think are worth repeating now as they are already on record and we need to look forward. The problems that have been raised must be resolved in order for the nation to retain its confidence in the public health services.

Let me give you a synopsis of what transpired during the previous financial year:
1. In the Eastern Cape, Health facilities are understaffed and consequently, the department is for all intents and purposes dysfunctional. Whistle blowers are victimized and forced to resign making a mockery of the Act that was intended to protect them. This means that in this particular province, corruption is institutionalized.
There are allegations that overspending of the magnitude of R1.8billion had occurred and that even so creditors were not paid. Maladministration has led to a shortage of drugs and medicines.
1. In the Free State, the saga of ARV shortages and the illegal dumping of medical waste are well documented. Bad planning saw quantities of expired medicine being disposed of when that money could have been allocated to ARV's. It has always been the case of the money being there but without a credible plan for its utilisation.
2. In Gauteng, the Chris Hani and Charlotte Maxeke hospitals also ran out of drugs.
3. In Limpopo, the MEC appointed his cronies to provide IT systems and to profit thereby.
4. In Kwa-Zulu Natal, Hospitals are generally dysfunctional due to a shortage of staff.
5. In Mpumalanga, overspending resulted in communities not getting quality health care.
6. In the Northern Cape, newly built clinics in De Aar had no drugs. This included clinics in Barkley West, Richmond and Hanover. In this province, allegations are rife that management has neither skills nor the requisite qualifications.
7. In the North West, there are ambulances but no staff and the roads are such that ambulances and equipment cannot reach the people who need urgent medical attention.
8. In the Western Cape, there is a shortage of forensic laboratories with 5000 (five thousand) samples at Salt River mortuary having to be discarded because they could not be analysed on account of expiry. At Groote Schuur, the neurology ward had no toilet seats, toilet paper, soap or hand towels. This is a hardy perennial and yet the situation lingers.
For the Congress of the People, these concerns have to be addressed before we can even begin to talk about accessibility to quality health care. To your credit, Honourable Minister, your enthusiasm and commitment gives some hope to the people of South Africa that a turn around is possible. We will work with you to help you achieve your noble ideas and objectives.

The Congress of the People believes that the primary Health care model should be considerably strengthened. Therefore, all clinics should have medication, appropriate health professionals and access to emergency medical services.

Chairperson, during the constituency period, I paid a visit to clinics within the Frances Baard District Municipality. At the clinics in Galeshewe, Kimberley, there are no doctors, no pharmacists, no vaccines for children. Only municipal clinics have UV lights. The provincial ones don't have UV lights and consequently 4 (four) professional nurses became infected with TB.

I hope that the Minister will ensure that during the immunization campaign, there will be adequate vaccines as at these Galeshewe clinics, immunization has not taken place for the past three months. In this case the problem is clearly not with management at these clinics but is at the level above them.

Access to quality health is not confined only to the building of new clinics. The Congress of the People believes that implementing a proper human resources development programme is vital. It is for this reason that COPE welcomes the department's commitment to the reopening of Nursing Colleges. The training of skilled labour is never a waste of money because exporting excess labour is to the benefit of the country's economic development.

The role of community caregivers should be acknowledged by providing them standardized training programmes and having their qualifications accredited.

Access to quality healthcare by all South Africans should be something we must speed up. The escalation in medical costs is a matter of utmost concern to COPE. The need to keep specialists' fees in an affordable range, to have a single national hospital insurance scheme in place, and to promote primary health care very aggressively will need to be thrown open for public discussion. COPE recognizes that these are burning issues requiring all involved parties to subscribe to a mutually agreed upon policy so that the interest of the care givers and of the afflicted are equally protected.

COPE believes that within the NHI, there should be scope for Medical Aid Societies to operate as part of an integrated system of care provision. Those who can finance their health care needs should not be punished for this.

The Congress of the People is convinced that this win-win approach will contribute towards improving the effectiveness of our health care system.

COPE is also conscious of the fact that the burden of disease is a formidable challenge. HIV/AIDS is merely one of these burdens.

COPE recognizes that way forward in dealing with HIV/AIDS is to provide determined and focused leadership from the top. In this regard we were encouraged by the announcement of the President of the Republic of South Africa during the World Aids' day last year. It is unfortunate that he is incapable of abiding by the ABC message. It is merely the case of do as I say and not as I do. This is incomprehensible seeing that he is the President.

The message, however, is the correct message. That's why Honourable Minister, COPE supports the mass voluntary testing campaign and we will urge all our members and supporters to participate in this campaign.

Health is one of the important targets of the Millennium Development agenda. Therefore, striving for improved health outcomes should be whole heartedly embraced and promoted by all for the benefit of all, through the effort of all.

Thank You.