The Gauteng health department could see a potential increase of 6.3% in its budget from the previous year to R45.1bn, according to National Treasury's 2025 division of revenue.
MEC for economic development Lebogang Maile will deliver his budget speech on Tuesday.
The budget for the health sector may include conditional grants amounting to R28.9bn being allocated for health care. The health facility revitalisation grant has been allocated R1.6bn, reflecting a 14.3% increase aimed at upgrading hospital infrastructure.
The National Tertiary Services grant will receive R5.4bn to support specialised services at major hospitals. This could see critical improvements to public healthcare facilities like the Helen Joseph Hospital which the health ombudsman last week found to be not fit for purpose.
A damning finding by the health ombudsman and the Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) revealed that the hospital had four acting CEOs in five years, the hospital lacks accountability, its infrastructure is deteriorating, there's intermittent water supply and that 30.2% of funded nursing posts are not filled at the hospital.
Health ombudsman prof Taole Mokoena said the hospital was inadequately resourced. “The hospital is understaffed and unable to meet the demands of its patients. There is an urgent need to address staff shortages as skilled nursing professionals resign due to heavy workloads,” Mokoena said.
The potential aspect of the budget would also assist the department's cash-flow problems.
Speaking to Sowetan recently, the department said it was affected by the cost containment measures implemented by the National Treasury. Department spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said they have adopted a cautious approach to cash-flow management which includes prioritisation of critical services and projects while deferring non-urgent expenditure.
Reflecting on previous incidents, Rural Health Advocacy project director Russell Rensburg said the main thing the department needs to build is trust.
“There are a lot of trust issues and giving them more money doesn't mean that they will necessarily be able to solve their issues. The money is more than welcome but this should be the basis of a strengthening plan that involves all the key stakeholders because regardless of all that they do, everyone will always remember the fire at the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital, and it is still unresolved. The budget should be dependent on a three-year strengthening plan.
“Last week, the health ombudsman released a report on Helen Joseph and last year it released a report on Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital and that fraud issue is still not resolved. They need to have a multi-stakeholder meeting to develop a plan to strengthen the health service in the province, to develop trust,” said Rensburg
Last week, the health ombudsman released a report on Helen Joseph and last year it released a report on Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital and that fraud issue is still not resolved.
— Rural Health Advocacy project director Russell Rensburg
DA spokesperson for health Jack Bloom said the money the department of health receives from Treasury should be spent on basics such as equipment, enough staff and fixing hospital buildings.
“Companies, small businesses and those doing business with the Gauteng department of health continue to struggle to survive due to the department’s failure to pay for the goods and services rendered within the stipulated 30-day period,” said Bloom.
He said during the Gauteng department of finance portfolio committee meeting, public service commissioner Vusumuzi Mavuso revealed that the department owed suppliers a staggering R4.8bn.
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