The Democratic Alliance in Limpopo is deeply concerned by Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba’s indifferent attitude to resolve the future of Shiluvana Frail Care Centre before the current contract with Life Esidimeni lapses at the end of September.
Ramathuba was absent from a joint meeting on the 1st of July 2021 by the portfolio committees on Health and Social Development and the two departments. The meeting was meant to discuss the future of the centre, as well as the provincial task team’s report on the centre.
The task team’s report revealed that Shiluvana Frail Care Centre was non-compliant with the Mental Health Care Act and unlicensed. Regulation 43 states that “any service not directly run under the auspices of an organ of the state and which is not a designated hospital, but which provides residential or daycare facilities for 5 people or more with mental disorders must be registered in terms of the act.
The centre has 85 patients who needs medical assistance due to their mental health, 54 patients have intellectual disabilities and 77 of the patients in the facility were found to be wholly dependent of the healthcare personnel for bathing, dressing, feeding and using the toilet. It is clear that this group of patients in the centre need the Department of Health’s services most.
The task team’s benchmarking of the DA-led Western Cape and Gauteng revealed that facilities are funded by both the department of Health and Department for Social Development. The Department of Health is the lead department and provides more of the funding which also covers the professional staff.
The benchmarking also indicated that in the two provinces, the Department of Health funds residents with profound to severe intellectual disability whilst Social Development pays subsidy for the mild to moderate intellectually disabled beneficiaries.
The task team’s report offers four options for the management of the Shiluvana Centre
1. The Department of Social Development manages the facility but continues with the outsourcing due to lack of capacity within the department
2. Full takeover by the Department of Health
3. Full takeover by Department of Social Development and insourcing of all the services
4. Joint Management of the facility by the Department of Health and Department of Social Development with outsourcing of services and joint funding.
The task team has recommended the fourth option and according to the findings of the benchmark, the Department of Health is best placed to be responsible for the Centre. It is disappointing that MEC Ramathuba chose to be absent from this prearranged and crucial meeting despite the imminent lapse of the centre’s current contract.
The DA calls on Limpopo Premier, Stan Mathabatha, and the Limpopo Provincial Government Executive Council (EXCO) to urgently discuss the Shiluvana centre at the next weekly meeting and come to a decision over its future before the contract lapses at the end of September.