Chairperson of the Health Portfolio Committee and DA MPL Dr Imran Keeka, said the department was facing serious financial challenges.
Posts cannot be filled, increasing surgical and clinical backlogs, longer waiting times for patients, fewer ambulances and medicine shortages are among the challenges facing the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health as a result of budget cuts.
Labour unions in the health sector said the cuts are overloading staff with work, putting patient care at risk and could render the department unable to fulfil its mandate.
Staff shortages, concerns about challenges in the procuring of medical supplies as a direct result of the budget cuts are just some of the concerns they raised.
Billions of rand have been cut from the provincial budget over the past few years, leading to severe budget reductions in various departments. The strain of these cuts has been particularly palpable in the Departments of Health and Education.
Education has raised its concerns with the National Treasury regarding this matter.
The Mercury approached the Department of Health last week for comment about the impact of budget cuts. A spokesperson said on Sunday that a response was not yet ready.
Labour unions have stated that the situation is dire. The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) has said that the entire system is now teetering on the brink of collapse.
“They are no longer filling posts properly. They told us to our faces that if there are 10 vacancies, they are lucky if they can fill six of those posts. This is impacting patients, as they often have to visit the hospital three consecutive times just to receive treatment.
“Patients come on the first day, waiting in line for the whole day, only to leave without treatment. On the second day, they may receive treatment, but by the time they finish, the pharmacy is closed, forcing them to return on the third day to collect their medication.
“These budget cuts are also affecting services. There are service providers who are not being paid on time, leading to reports of unclean facilities because cleaners have not been compensated.
Additionally, there is a shortage of medication due to unpaid suppliers,” said the union.
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) said staff and patients were being affected.
“Chronic underfunding undermines patient care and places an unsustainable burden on health-care workers, who are forced to contend with insufficient resources, staff shortages and deteriorating infrastructure.
“Despite our numerous submissions of memorandums and engagements with the MEC, there is no clear direction on how to address the issues of staff shortages, infrastructure challenges, inadequate equipment and the safety of workers,” the union said.
Chairperson of the Health Portfolio Committee and DA MPL Dr Imran Keeka, said the department was facing serious financial challenges.
He said that based on a statement from the Premier’s office, the Department of Health is set to overspend by R4.7 billion as of September 30, 2024.
“The truth is that the impact of historic and current budget cuts has been devastating for the department.
The situation is significantly worsened by the National Wage Agreement, which sees the national government decide staff salary increases without providing the necessary funding to our province.
“The impact of this budget strain means that not all staff posts can be filled, amid increasing surgical and clinical backlogs, longer waiting times, fewer ambulances on the road, and pressure on the procurement of sufficient medicines, among other significant issues.
“To mitigate these challenges, the Department of Health has proposed a cost-cutting plan. The outline of this plan requires significant interrogation, as health-care services cannot be curtailed any more than they currently are,” said Keeka.
The chairperson said the engagements with the Treasury, at both provincial and national levels, are under way.
“While the joint Cabinets of the president and premier offer a glimmer of hope, it may not be enough, and it remains to be seen how this massive ship will be turned around in the current troubled waters. The Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) has a colossal task ahead in ensuring strict levels of accountability and rigorous oversight,” he said.
In a recent statement, Premier Thami Ntuli acknowledged that the health and education departments are facing budget constraints that make it challenging for these departments to fulfil their duties to their full potential, which definitely impedes service delivery.
“The challenge even makes it difficult for these departments to hire doctors, nurses, teachers, and social workers, despite some unfilled vacancies in these sectors,” said the premier in his statement.
THE MERCURY
Related Topics: