The Portfolio Committee on Health supports and welcomes the opening of the Office of the Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) Complaints Management Call Centre.

The OHSC was created by the National Health Amendment Act of 2013 with the intention to protect and promote the health and safety of health services users.

The Committee participated in the official opening of the call centre as a sign of its continued support to the entity as well as the reiteration of the need to improve the quality of health care given to South Africans. “We will continue to work with this important office to ensure that the quality of health care, which is provided for in the Constitution, is provided regardless of the social standing of patients,” said Mr Fish Mahlalela, the leader of the delegation.

It is the Committee’s considered view that the call centre will serve to strengthen the oversight work of OHSC, the Office of the Health Ombudsman and the Portfolio Committee. The centre will also create a mechanism that empowers the healthcare user and enables them to influence the quality of health care they receive.

Despite this, the Committee has raised concerns with the filling of the position of Chief Executive Officer at OHSC. “We would like to urge the Board to move with speed to fill the vacancy of CEO to ensure that the entity moves full-steam ahead in implementing the strategic objective of the institution,” said Mr Mahlalela in closing.

Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Leader of Delegation of the Portfolio Committee on Health, Mr Fish Mahlalela