The Democratic Alliance (DA) is deeply concerned by the financial position of the Limpopo Department of Health and the impact it is having on the province’s Covid-19 response.
The Department is currently faced with challenges of capacity with regard to bed space, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and additional medical doctors, professional nurses, cleaners and porters as the province grapples with the second wave of Covid-19.
Limpopo Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba recently stated that the Department was addressing these challenges and would appoint additional personnel soon. The Department has failed however to make much needed staffing additions over the years due to budget constraints. The shambolic finances of the Department have left many questions as to how it will address these challenges.
In July 2020 R1.847 billion was allocated for the provincial health Covid-19 surge plan response. The Department of Health only spent R509 million and in November last year surrendered R 706.9 million in unspent Covid-19 funds to cater for the Compensation of Employee (CoE) deficit in the province.
For the last couple of years Limpopo Department of Health has been limited by its precarious financial position. This has been characterised by its accruals in excess of R300 million (down from over R 1 billion in 2017/18) and Medico-legal claims against the department amounting to R9 billion.
The current PPE challenges are being experienced despite R584 million and R174 million being spent on PPE only between March and June as well as July and September last year respectively.
The Department’s Covid-19 procurement has been fraught with corruption allegations and this has resulted in investigations into the Department of Health’s Covid-19 procurement allocation.
The Presidential Employment Initiative allocation of R53.746 million for Limpopo Department of Health will not be sufficient to address the healthcare staffing challenges in the province. MEC Ramathuba must be transparent about the sources of funding and timelines involved in the addressing of Limpopo Challenges.
While we acknowledge the efforts of the Limpopo Department of Health and the hard work of healthcare workers and all other frontline workers it is clear that poor planning and financial mismanagement has affected our province’s response to Covid-19.
The DA believes that citizens need to continue to play their part by always wearing a mask in public, ensuring we social distance at all times and regularly sanitise or wash our hands. All citizens need to be responsible in their actions in order to ensure that lives and livelihoods are saved.