20 February 2001
It is our firm belief that the nation's health is the most important precondition for its success in all spheres of life. The Gauteng Health Department shall not spare efforts in its resolve to improve the health status of our people.
In accordance with the National Health Rights Charter and our Pledge to Service Excellence we have been able to establish Help Desks in major hospitals to improve communication between our clients and the staff to ensure quality care and humane culture of caring in our institutions.
The new Provincial Health Information System - being piloted at 6 hospitals - is already live at Carletonville, Chris Hani Baragwanath, Natalspruit, and Ga-Rankuwa hospitals. Local area networks have been installed in 6 more clinics. The effect of this all has been a 21% decrease in queuing times at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (Measured queing time in OPD for registration and consultation was 137 minutes before the implementation of the system. This reduced to 108 minutes after implementation, with scope for further reduction as staff become more familiar with the system). Despite the ruthlessness of the AIDS epidemic and its implications to the economy, we are registering and I have no doubt that we will continue to register progress in our struggle against it.
The Premier's Inter-departmental AIDS Committee continues to support a wide range of projects aimed at the prevention of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The Gauteng AIDS Council, launched in June 2000, brings together the insights of different stakeholders to fight against the epidemic. We continue to distribute 7.5 million condoms every month, and several million rands in grants have been allocated to non-governmental organisations.
Increased openness on AIDS and initiatives with a range of community groups provided the space for people to come to terms with the reality and respond.
A social movement on AIDS is emerging. It is also reflected in the rapid expansion of Home-Based Care (HBC) projects. Predictably, the AIDS reality has increased people's efforts on prevention. Mothers and grandmothers are taking initiatives to protect their children.
Relevant media coverage has increased significantly. While real progress has been made led by people with AIDS, stigma and discrimination remain a problem. Thousands of infected people remain fearful and isolated with insufficient access to social support networks and services.
Media coverage has highlighted the future impact of AIDS on the country, the economy, companies, government departments and communities. This has increased anxiety and elicited responses, especially from the private sector.
However, people urgently need advice and support on initiating effective responses.
Provincial leadership was consolidated with the establishment of the Premier's Committee on AIDS (PCA), involving Cabinet and the launching of the Gauteng AIDS Council (GAC).
Leadership from all sectors are now involved. New developments in 2000 include traditional healers (Gauteng structure), religious organisations, the private sector (SABCOHA, parastatals and mining houses) and nurses (DENOSA).
There are Local Intersectoral AIDS programmes in 50% of local authorities, including a home-based care project in each district. Training to develop counselling and home care skills is in place and will be expanded.
Research sites on mother-to-child transmission have been extended from Chris Hani Baragwanath, Coronation Hospital and Zola Clinic to new ones at J. Dumane MOU/Natalspruit Hospital Complex and Pretoria West/Kalafong Hospital Complex.
Detailed implementation planning, which includes staff recruitment, training, procurement of medicines, drugs and breast-milk substitutes has started. We estimate that each month, 400 women will be part of the initiative at Kalafong/Pretoria West complex, and 500 women at the Natalspruit/J Dumane complex.
Implementation will start within the next two months.
Meanwhile, we are strengthening our ability to cope with the inevitable and massive AIDS epidemic which will unfold over the next five years.
Good results on preventing new infections now, will show in reduced AIDS deaths from 2010 onwards.
Communication reached over 5 million people regularly through TV and radio coverage. This combined publicity of events and advertising. It included care and prevention messages and increasingly reached people outside Gauteng.
Care issues received more attention as planned. This included AIDS Care week events, a Sowetan supplement and an ongoing theme on Openness / "Breaking the silence" / " Africa we care". Gospel artists and religious leadership were involved.
Communication on Safe Sex was sustained, focussed on youth and men, including men in hostels. Activities included large-scale cultural programmes (drama, dance, music) in schools, workplaces and hostels.
Projects included the Education Department, prisons, companies, unions and traditional leaders. There was good support from SABC and other media groups.
HBC services development is ahead of schedule in this province. We have so far funded 36 Home-Based Care projects. By 2003 it should reach the overall objective of access for 80% of the population. Four (4) of these are to be funded in the 2001/2 financial year to make 40 projects (16 of these are in East Rand, 3 in Pretoria, 6 in the West Rand).
R3.5 million was set aside for the 36 HBC projects in the 2000/2001 financial year.
Gauteng province has reached the stage where leadership of all sectors and the majority of the public understand the scale and significance of the AIDS epidemic.
Implementation of prevention and care activities has been established with multiple components, involving a wide range of stakeholders. The "Call to Action" has elicited widespread commitment and action.
The Annual Antenatal Survey suggests that the rate of new infections is slowing down, although more confirmation is required.
This should motivate us to intensify prevention efforts. We have been able to contain the spread of Cholera in our province. From 3 January to date only 38 cases have been confirmed and only one death has occurred. The Gauteng Health Department has reactivated our Outbreak Response Teams at provincial, regional and local levels. The strategies we have put in place include identification of high-risk areas, the provision of adequate water and sanitation and providing information to the public so that they can protect themselves.
When we launched the National Health Rights Charter and our Pledge of Service Excellence a year ago we made a commitment to the public that we will never again tolerate disgraceful behaviour in our institutions.
Three weeks ago, there were disturbing front-page reports of nurses beating a mother while giving birth, and in another, allegations that an epileptic was assaulted by nurses. While in the latter case investigation revealed that this was a 'staged event' which only existed in the mind of the complainant, evidence shows that indeed a nurse at Tambo Memorial Hospital assaulted the patient, and thereby behaved in an unacceptable manner.
Nothing justifies a nurse assaulting a patient even if the patient is aggressive. This is against the Public Service Code of Conduct C.2.3 and C.2.8. We have thus decided to charge this nurse with the alleged assault in accordance with Annexure A of the PSCBC Resolution no2: of 1999. The case will also be reported to the Nursing Council.
We hope that the action we take against this particular nurse will send a clear message to all our employees that misconduct, especially if it violates the culture of human rights we are promoting in our country, will under no circumstances be tolerated.
We have been able to install closed-circuit cameras in major hospitals and high-risk areas to fight crime. This has resulted in the immediate drop in the theft of medicines and other state property in hospitals such as Tembisa, Ga-Rankuwa and Pholosong.
The department is making great strides in gender equality. Already 60% of top managers at the Head Office and regions are women.
Our social policy cannot be effective unless it responds to the interests of women. As government we are duty-bound to get down without delay to grappling with the numerous, sharp problems that women face to-date. The issue of violence against women, gender equality and women's health is still our priority.
Issued by: PWV Gauteng
For more information contact:
Popo Maja at 011-355-3543 or 082-373-1169