Date: 12/05/2003
Source: Department of Health
Title: Tshabalala-Msimang: Launch of National Department of Health Fraud Prevention Plan
SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF HEALTH, DR MANTO TSHABALALA-MSIMANG, DURING THE LAUNCH OF NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FRAUD PREVENTION PLAN, Pretoria, 12 May 2003
Greetings
It is a great pleasure for me to be part of this important launch today. This is an important event in our broader efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our services and ensuring that government resources reach the intended beneficiaries.
The department realises that its goals and objectives of a better health for all cannot be realised if fraud, corruption, dishonesty, maladministration and irregular practices are not rooted out.
The department wants to promote a fraud and corrupt free environment that subscribe to a culture of high moral and ethical values. We are committed to render efficient and effective services to our people.
Our strategy is not only focused on countering fraud in the National Department of Health but to also promote public confidence in the health sector in general by improving our services.
Health services are some of the nation's most precious assets, financed by the taxpayer for the benefit of all. Any leakage in the use of these resources is unacceptable. It is intolerable that losses due to fraud and corruption should be allowed to deprive our customers and patients in particular of resources intended to improve their health.
For too long, the cost of fraud and corruption has been allowed to remain invisible in our society. Therefore, I would like today to challenge our Fraud Prevention Unit to begin to quantify the amount of resources that the public health sector loses due to fraud. This information is important in scaling up our efforts against malpractices.
By taking a robust approach to these problems, we aim to raise counter fraud work to a new level of quality and efficiency and to directly commit ourselves to improved patient care and services.
We will strive to ensure that, at every level within our Department there is a clear accountability for the implementation of counter fraud policy and management of counter fraud work. Efforts to counter fraud must be a core management responsibility and this should be reflected in performance agreements. Awareness of and involvement in counter fraud work should also become a general responsibility of all professionals.
Every organisation needs a channel through which employees, suppliers, contractors and the general public can report irregular activities without fear of victimisation or repercussions.
Vital to this is the assurance of anonymity, commitment to investigate all irregularities, protection of the whistle blowers and consistent application of the fraud policy regardless of the seniority of the alleged offender.
We need to encourage our staff, stakeholder and general public to report cases of fraud. The hotline concept has become an accepted business reality, which is recognised as a vital tool in fraud prevention.
The department fraud hotline under the management of the internal audit unit provides such opportunities. You just have to dial National Health System Ethic line on 0800 20 14 14 and report whatever you think its inappropriate use of government resource.
This free telephone line does not only receive tip-offs about the national department but also about fraud and corruption in the provinces.
We are also putting in place mechanisms to help us deal with fraud and corruption from the information given by the whistle blowers.
A total of 75 cases have been reported since the end of 2001. These cases relate to fraud, corruption, nepotism, irregularities and unethical behaviour. Of the reported incidents, 20 cases have been investigated and finalised. Others are at different stages of investigation.
I would like to make it clear that we will not hesitate to act against anyone who is found guilty of fraud, corruption and any other form of misconduct. Appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken irrespective of the rank occupied by the alleged culprit.
We cannot, under any circumstances, tolerate the misuse of resource intended to benefit the public and to safeguard health.
The purpose of this plan is to set the tone through which the department commits itself to eradicate fraud as a business factor in order to ensure the achievement of our objectives as the health sector.
By launching this plan the department binds itself to combat all forms of fraud and corruption as well as to remain proactive in the fight against such incidents.
Our methodologies will be developed as we go on to measure the size of various types of fraud using the reports received from the Fraud Hotline, disciplinary action reports, internal audit reports, Auditor-General reports and any other relevant reports that contain fraud statistics.
The focus at the national office should initially be on:
* loss of documents and information,
* violation of procurement procedures,
* use of state-owned property for private purposes,
* excessive or unjustifiable use of consultants;
* irregularities on human resources and employment processes;
* theft in particular of information technology and computer equipment;
* payment of salaries to non-existent employees,
* fraudulent overtime claims and use of official time for private purposes (which results in inefficiency).
Another objective is to ensure that, as we address fraud, we learn the lessons of how it has been perpetrated. We will then use this knowledge to inform the development of new measures to prevent it. This link between the practical knowledge of fraud and future systems to prevent it will be crucial in building secure systems.
I pledge my full support to the Anti-Corruption and Fraud Campaign and its objectives together with the Fraud Policy Statement as declared by the Accounting Officer of the National Department of Health.
I would also like to invite all staff members to pledge commitment to zero tolerance against fraud and corruption by signing the commitment register with me.
TOGETHER WE CAN WIN THIS BATTLE.
Issued by Ministry of Health
12 May 2003
Source: Department of Health (http://www.doh.gov.za)
Source: Department of Health
Title: Tshabalala-Msimang: Launch of National Department of Health Fraud Prevention Plan
SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF HEALTH, DR MANTO TSHABALALA-MSIMANG, DURING THE LAUNCH OF NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FRAUD PREVENTION PLAN, Pretoria, 12 May 2003
Greetings
It is a great pleasure for me to be part of this important launch today. This is an important event in our broader efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our services and ensuring that government resources reach the intended beneficiaries.
The department realises that its goals and objectives of a better health for all cannot be realised if fraud, corruption, dishonesty, maladministration and irregular practices are not rooted out.
The department wants to promote a fraud and corrupt free environment that subscribe to a culture of high moral and ethical values. We are committed to render efficient and effective services to our people.
Our strategy is not only focused on countering fraud in the National Department of Health but to also promote public confidence in the health sector in general by improving our services.
Health services are some of the nation's most precious assets, financed by the taxpayer for the benefit of all. Any leakage in the use of these resources is unacceptable. It is intolerable that losses due to fraud and corruption should be allowed to deprive our customers and patients in particular of resources intended to improve their health.
For too long, the cost of fraud and corruption has been allowed to remain invisible in our society. Therefore, I would like today to challenge our Fraud Prevention Unit to begin to quantify the amount of resources that the public health sector loses due to fraud. This information is important in scaling up our efforts against malpractices.
By taking a robust approach to these problems, we aim to raise counter fraud work to a new level of quality and efficiency and to directly commit ourselves to improved patient care and services.
We will strive to ensure that, at every level within our Department there is a clear accountability for the implementation of counter fraud policy and management of counter fraud work. Efforts to counter fraud must be a core management responsibility and this should be reflected in performance agreements. Awareness of and involvement in counter fraud work should also become a general responsibility of all professionals.
Every organisation needs a channel through which employees, suppliers, contractors and the general public can report irregular activities without fear of victimisation or repercussions.
Vital to this is the assurance of anonymity, commitment to investigate all irregularities, protection of the whistle blowers and consistent application of the fraud policy regardless of the seniority of the alleged offender.
We need to encourage our staff, stakeholder and general public to report cases of fraud. The hotline concept has become an accepted business reality, which is recognised as a vital tool in fraud prevention.
The department fraud hotline under the management of the internal audit unit provides such opportunities. You just have to dial National Health System Ethic line on 0800 20 14 14 and report whatever you think its inappropriate use of government resource.
This free telephone line does not only receive tip-offs about the national department but also about fraud and corruption in the provinces.
We are also putting in place mechanisms to help us deal with fraud and corruption from the information given by the whistle blowers.
A total of 75 cases have been reported since the end of 2001. These cases relate to fraud, corruption, nepotism, irregularities and unethical behaviour. Of the reported incidents, 20 cases have been investigated and finalised. Others are at different stages of investigation.
I would like to make it clear that we will not hesitate to act against anyone who is found guilty of fraud, corruption and any other form of misconduct. Appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken irrespective of the rank occupied by the alleged culprit.
We cannot, under any circumstances, tolerate the misuse of resource intended to benefit the public and to safeguard health.
The purpose of this plan is to set the tone through which the department commits itself to eradicate fraud as a business factor in order to ensure the achievement of our objectives as the health sector.
By launching this plan the department binds itself to combat all forms of fraud and corruption as well as to remain proactive in the fight against such incidents.
Our methodologies will be developed as we go on to measure the size of various types of fraud using the reports received from the Fraud Hotline, disciplinary action reports, internal audit reports, Auditor-General reports and any other relevant reports that contain fraud statistics.
The focus at the national office should initially be on:
* loss of documents and information,
* violation of procurement procedures,
* use of state-owned property for private purposes,
* excessive or unjustifiable use of consultants;
* irregularities on human resources and employment processes;
* theft in particular of information technology and computer equipment;
* payment of salaries to non-existent employees,
* fraudulent overtime claims and use of official time for private purposes (which results in inefficiency).
Another objective is to ensure that, as we address fraud, we learn the lessons of how it has been perpetrated. We will then use this knowledge to inform the development of new measures to prevent it. This link between the practical knowledge of fraud and future systems to prevent it will be crucial in building secure systems.
I pledge my full support to the Anti-Corruption and Fraud Campaign and its objectives together with the Fraud Policy Statement as declared by the Accounting Officer of the National Department of Health.
I would also like to invite all staff members to pledge commitment to zero tolerance against fraud and corruption by signing the commitment register with me.
TOGETHER WE CAN WIN THIS BATTLE.
Issued by Ministry of Health
12 May 2003
Source: Department of Health (http://www.doh.gov.za)
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