Date: 21/11/2002
Source: North West Provincial Government
Title: Sefularo: North West Annual Suppliers Summit
SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE NORTH WEST MEC FOR HEALTH, DR MOLEFI SEFULARO, AT THE HEALTH AND RELATED SECTOR ANNUAL SUPPLIERS SUMMIT, 21 November 2002
Our gathering here today is an attempt to strengthen the relationship between the Department of Health in the North West province and the suppliers. We are here to nurture the partnership that we have with yourselves as suppliers so that at the end we are able to ensure optimum health for all individuals and communities in the North West Province.
Last year we focused on ethics. At the time I made the following key tenets of what should guide the way in which we conduct business:
Utilitarianism
That action is "right" which produces the greatest benefits at the lowest cost for society as a whole.
Rights
That action is "right" which protects the entitlements or boundaries set around the individual's pursuit of interests.
Justice
That action is "right" which distributes benefits and burdens fairly.
Taken together, we agreed that the basis of our relationship and transaction should be such that when we have concluded our business, we shall have been able to provide health services in a manner that shows:
* efficiency for yourself, the department and society as a whole
* the protection of your rights to maintain a viable and profitable business; and the rights of the workers and patients to receive goods and services that confirms their humanity and dignity
* all parties to the transaction take their fair share of responsibility while taking what is due to them.
We have a responsibility as a department to ensure that our communities in the North West Province have access to affordable and quality health care. For us to respond to this, we need your services as business people.
I am sure that as we are gathered here, we are all aware of the role that each of us has in building the economy of this country. That is why we should not find ourselves pursuing financial and material success to an extent that we become selfish beings, forgetting our role in developing others for the good of our country and our province.
The second major point I made last year is that we are part of the national economy. The manner in which we conduct our business should be such that we do not damage our reputation as a province and a country in the eyes of national or international business partners and prospective investors.
I want to confirm here and now that the department will not tolerate any form of corruption. No employee of the department should be promised a share in the profits if he/she provides information that puts a tenderer in a better position to win a tender. We will ruthlessly deal with those found to be involved in such corrupt acts, including organisations involved.
We are strongly opposed to corruption as it often stands in the way of healthy competition and threatens the effective and equitable development in needy countries. As we are here to strengthen our partnership with a goal of ultimately ensuring optimum health for the people of North West, I want everyone here today to remember that, by outsourcing services, we don't outsource our responsibility as well. Which, therefore means, there must be constant contact with the organization we procure a service from, to ensure accountability.
Our gathering here is another way of nurturing a relationship that ensures that both of us play our parts responsibly to the benefit of us all. We expect from you, prompt and quality service. We undertake on our part, clear role definition and prompt payment. I think if we work from that understanding we will be able to make true a healthy business relationship for all of us.
We are meeting this year under different circumstances, where the policy environment has changed significantly. The major policy changes that have taken place since we met are the following:
1. An agreement has been reached at the Public Service Central Bargaining Chamber on alternative methods of service delivery.
2. This is the last year financial year of procurement reform, which aims at decentralising procurement authority away from tender boards.
3. We as a department have formally adopted a position that we will take on the private sector on the basis of standards, quality and aesthetics.
4. There is a clearer understanding and definition of Black Economic Empowerment.
What these policy reforms and progression mean is that we as a department have the space and responsibility to:
* modernize our operations and improve service delivery
You as service providers and a business community have the responsibility and opportunity to seize the business opportunities and identify your contribution that all arise as we modernize for better service delivery. While there may have been advances in the advancement of black business, all of us have a responsibility to ensure serious empowerment of women and youth.
It will require risk and sacrifices on our part. We have thus far been successful in diverting to households headed by women, the R40 million per year that we spend on primary school nutrition. We should be looking for more opportunities where we can push the benefits of Black Economic Empowerment beyond the established corporations and companies.
The major effect of the policy reforms I have mentioned above is that while they provide more freedom and authority, they also impose greater responsibility and accountability. We as a department have the duty to prove that as we have insisted for years, we can manage the procurement of goods and services in a manner that does not require excessive red tape and archaic rules and regulations.
We will in turn be decentralising within our department.
These policy reforms require that we prove their correctness. The best we can do is to ensure success and minimise failure.
At the centre of this new environment is the relationship we have with our patients or clients, the workers within the department and the public in general. We can no longer rely on the authority of the state or the legal compulsion of a contract to maintain a service or a particular provider.
We cannot and should not continue to treat those that come to our hospitals and clinics as hopeless dependents who have no choice and therefore deserve less than those who are able to buy health care from private providers.
The most important test for me will be the extent to which, as a result of our partnership, those that come into contact with us can objectively see the improvement and subjectively feel that they have had a good and memorable experience.
Given our size and the variety of goods and services we provide, the challenge to achieve this positive outcome will arise 1 000 times in 1 000 different places on a daily basis. My wish is that while accepting that in this vast number of individual transactions, lapses and mistakes will occur, the overwhelming verdict will be one of a positive experience.
The other side of this expectation is that we should give greater weight to the opinion and judgement of our patients or clients and the public on the quality of the goods and services we provide. I would want to be able to discontinue a contract on the basis of justified and proven customer dissatisfaction.
I hope that in the process the new policies will be vindicated and our reputation as the department of health and you as service providers will be enhanced. I am confident that we will each prove that we are ready for modern business practices, operations and methods of service delivery.
One challenge I want to put to our business partners is more visible social responsibility and contribution. There are many causes and opportunities that can match the size of your enterprise. Contribution to a village clinic, a care group or a local AIDS council is as important as a major contribution to the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
The next financial year will be the last. I hope we will use it to conclude all major outstanding service delivery and policy objectives. In case the hustle and bustle of elections campaigns make it difficult for us to meet again this time next year, let me thank you very much for having worked with the Department of Health, through ever improving service delivery, to make our people have a positive meaning of freedom, democracy and human rights.
I thank you
Source: North West Provincial Government (http://www.nwpg.org.za)
Source: North West Provincial Government
Title: Sefularo: North West Annual Suppliers Summit
SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE NORTH WEST MEC FOR HEALTH, DR MOLEFI SEFULARO, AT THE HEALTH AND RELATED SECTOR ANNUAL SUPPLIERS SUMMIT, 21 November 2002
Our gathering here today is an attempt to strengthen the relationship between the Department of Health in the North West province and the suppliers. We are here to nurture the partnership that we have with yourselves as suppliers so that at the end we are able to ensure optimum health for all individuals and communities in the North West Province.
Last year we focused on ethics. At the time I made the following key tenets of what should guide the way in which we conduct business:
Utilitarianism
That action is "right" which produces the greatest benefits at the lowest cost for society as a whole.
Rights
That action is "right" which protects the entitlements or boundaries set around the individual's pursuit of interests.
Justice
That action is "right" which distributes benefits and burdens fairly.
Taken together, we agreed that the basis of our relationship and transaction should be such that when we have concluded our business, we shall have been able to provide health services in a manner that shows:
* efficiency for yourself, the department and society as a whole
* the protection of your rights to maintain a viable and profitable business; and the rights of the workers and patients to receive goods and services that confirms their humanity and dignity
* all parties to the transaction take their fair share of responsibility while taking what is due to them.
We have a responsibility as a department to ensure that our communities in the North West Province have access to affordable and quality health care. For us to respond to this, we need your services as business people.
I am sure that as we are gathered here, we are all aware of the role that each of us has in building the economy of this country. That is why we should not find ourselves pursuing financial and material success to an extent that we become selfish beings, forgetting our role in developing others for the good of our country and our province.
The second major point I made last year is that we are part of the national economy. The manner in which we conduct our business should be such that we do not damage our reputation as a province and a country in the eyes of national or international business partners and prospective investors.
I want to confirm here and now that the department will not tolerate any form of corruption. No employee of the department should be promised a share in the profits if he/she provides information that puts a tenderer in a better position to win a tender. We will ruthlessly deal with those found to be involved in such corrupt acts, including organisations involved.
We are strongly opposed to corruption as it often stands in the way of healthy competition and threatens the effective and equitable development in needy countries. As we are here to strengthen our partnership with a goal of ultimately ensuring optimum health for the people of North West, I want everyone here today to remember that, by outsourcing services, we don't outsource our responsibility as well. Which, therefore means, there must be constant contact with the organization we procure a service from, to ensure accountability.
Our gathering here is another way of nurturing a relationship that ensures that both of us play our parts responsibly to the benefit of us all. We expect from you, prompt and quality service. We undertake on our part, clear role definition and prompt payment. I think if we work from that understanding we will be able to make true a healthy business relationship for all of us.
We are meeting this year under different circumstances, where the policy environment has changed significantly. The major policy changes that have taken place since we met are the following:
1. An agreement has been reached at the Public Service Central Bargaining Chamber on alternative methods of service delivery.
2. This is the last year financial year of procurement reform, which aims at decentralising procurement authority away from tender boards.
3. We as a department have formally adopted a position that we will take on the private sector on the basis of standards, quality and aesthetics.
4. There is a clearer understanding and definition of Black Economic Empowerment.
What these policy reforms and progression mean is that we as a department have the space and responsibility to:
* modernize our operations and improve service delivery
You as service providers and a business community have the responsibility and opportunity to seize the business opportunities and identify your contribution that all arise as we modernize for better service delivery. While there may have been advances in the advancement of black business, all of us have a responsibility to ensure serious empowerment of women and youth.
It will require risk and sacrifices on our part. We have thus far been successful in diverting to households headed by women, the R40 million per year that we spend on primary school nutrition. We should be looking for more opportunities where we can push the benefits of Black Economic Empowerment beyond the established corporations and companies.
The major effect of the policy reforms I have mentioned above is that while they provide more freedom and authority, they also impose greater responsibility and accountability. We as a department have the duty to prove that as we have insisted for years, we can manage the procurement of goods and services in a manner that does not require excessive red tape and archaic rules and regulations.
We will in turn be decentralising within our department.
These policy reforms require that we prove their correctness. The best we can do is to ensure success and minimise failure.
At the centre of this new environment is the relationship we have with our patients or clients, the workers within the department and the public in general. We can no longer rely on the authority of the state or the legal compulsion of a contract to maintain a service or a particular provider.
We cannot and should not continue to treat those that come to our hospitals and clinics as hopeless dependents who have no choice and therefore deserve less than those who are able to buy health care from private providers.
The most important test for me will be the extent to which, as a result of our partnership, those that come into contact with us can objectively see the improvement and subjectively feel that they have had a good and memorable experience.
Given our size and the variety of goods and services we provide, the challenge to achieve this positive outcome will arise 1 000 times in 1 000 different places on a daily basis. My wish is that while accepting that in this vast number of individual transactions, lapses and mistakes will occur, the overwhelming verdict will be one of a positive experience.
The other side of this expectation is that we should give greater weight to the opinion and judgement of our patients or clients and the public on the quality of the goods and services we provide. I would want to be able to discontinue a contract on the basis of justified and proven customer dissatisfaction.
I hope that in the process the new policies will be vindicated and our reputation as the department of health and you as service providers will be enhanced. I am confident that we will each prove that we are ready for modern business practices, operations and methods of service delivery.
One challenge I want to put to our business partners is more visible social responsibility and contribution. There are many causes and opportunities that can match the size of your enterprise. Contribution to a village clinic, a care group or a local AIDS council is as important as a major contribution to the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
The next financial year will be the last. I hope we will use it to conclude all major outstanding service delivery and policy objectives. In case the hustle and bustle of elections campaigns make it difficult for us to meet again this time next year, let me thank you very much for having worked with the Department of Health, through ever improving service delivery, to make our people have a positive meaning of freedom, democracy and human rights.
I thank you
Source: North West Provincial Government (http://www.nwpg.org.za)
Advertisement
EMAIL THIS ARTICLE SAVE THIS ARTICLE FEEDBACK
To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
