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MEC's response to the financial criticisms in the Department
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Speeches and Media Releases
 Health

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MEDIA RELEASE
 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
 10 OCTOBER 2000


RESPONSE BY THE MEC TO FINANCIAL CRITICISMS IN THE DEPARTMENT

The Department of Healths primary role is to provide health services and to improve the health status of our people.

The delivery of health services depends upon the equitable share allocation and how we as a department manage our budget. Taking into 
consideration the latter, we need to mention that since 1994 our budget has always been based on the projections made in the previous years 
without taking into consideration the challenges imposed by the new dispensation vis--vis -:

1.The backlogs were not catered for in the previous budgets.

2.There is a need to redress imbalances of the past in which a high percentage of per capita expenditure was mostly in the former CPA 
areas.

3.The early recognition of certain institutions such as St. Elizabeth in Lusiskisiki and Frontier Hospital in Queenstown as Regional 
Hospitals, without looking at the realities out there.

Apart from these challenges there are also major factors that affect how we manage our budgets amongst which the following feature most -:

a)Management problems at Provincial, Regional and institutional levels. A lot of money is also being wasted on at these levels.

b)A deliberate effort to undermine the efficiency of the system, especially by certain people within the department.

c)The plaque of corruption.

d)Duplication of services in certain areas.

e)Duplicated charges to the government.

f)Litigation.

g)Unmonitored average stay of patients at our institutions.

h)Conducting unnecessary investigations on patients.

i)The culture of not working.

Having noted all these challenges mentioned above, the department is embarking on some corrective measures.These include -:
* The appointment of two Chief Directors, namely Dr. David Buso of District Health Services and Dr. Mjekula for the Primary Health Care.
* The appointment of a Chief Financial Officer.In the meantime the Chief Financial Officer will be seconded to the Head Office from the 
Private Sector. An official from Department of Finance and Expenditure will assist this person .
* The restructuring of the EMRS management. Mr. Meshe has been removed as the Head of EMRS and replaced by Mr. Du Plessis.
* The secondment of Chief Executive Officers to the hospitals.

We wish to state categorically that no hospital will be closed.In instances where there are shortfalls money will be made available to deal 
with emergency issues.Our main objective at this stage is to have a strong team of staff, which will include the Departments officials, 
and from Department of Finance and Expenditure to look at our financial management system and to handle our budget effectively.

Thank you

Issued by: Office of the MEC for Health


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